Court of Inappropriate
by Black Die
Summary: The yamis are gone... But with the appearance of two new hikaris, who's to say they won't come back?  Main pairings: Puzzleshipping, puppyshipping, conspireshipping, tendershipping, bronzeshipping, DukeOC, OMCxSethxOC
1. Prologue

Hi, I'm Cali! XD

Die: I don't know why I bothered to be here.

Bakura: You and me both.

Die: KURA! *glomps*

Bakura: AH! GET IT OFF ME!

Cali: Nah... I'm enjoying your pain.

Bakura: *glare*

Cali: So anyway, this is a co-written story between me (Cali OzeraKaulitz) and Die, who, as you know, is currently glomping an unwelcoming Baku. :D

Melvin: Neither of these two idiot writers own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Bakura: HELP ME, MELVIN!

Melvin: Nah, I'm good. Black Die bribed me with a new chainsaw if I didn't interfere.

Cali: That's a fantastic idea... Hmm... so anyway, hope you enjoy the prologue! :D

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

"My Pharaoh! The thief is attacking!" The servant raced down the hall, followed by the Pharaoh's daughter Akila.

"We will receive the shipment of bedroom slaves-" Pharaoh Atem spoke to the Roman ambassador Aurora, stopping mid-sentence when he realize his attention was being solicited by someone else.

"Father!" Akila's voice filled the chamber as panicked as her tear-filled eyes. "The thief is coming! He bears evidence of a traitor. Someone close to you, my Pharaoh. The ultimate betrayal!"

The proud man rose to his feet. "Priest Seth has finally recruited those rebels he always threatened to? I knew I should've had him flayed for his insolence years ago!"

For a moment, her tears froze and she stared at him blankly. "Wha-? N-No. I… where did _that_ come from?"

Silence filled the room as the great Pharaoh fidgeted. "I'll tell you later, when you're married." A light blush appeared on his face as he averted his gaze. "Has Jono come out of the linen closet then?"

She giggled. "No Father, he has not admitted his… preference yet."

"With the way Seth makes him scream, it is no wonder the entire palace does not know," he muttered to himself.

"Not to intrude, Pharaoh Atem," Aurora murmured, her light copper hair gleaming in the bright Egyptian sun, "but why not send your great Champion forth to vanquish the threat?"

Akila paled. "That… may be a problem."

"… Please tell me my friend is not screwing Seth in the hot springs again."

The Pharaoh's daughter blushed bright pink, stammering out, "N-No. _No_, thank Ra. And why didn't you- Oh whatever. Fell _is_ the traitor. Your champion has betrayed you."

"Impossible," he breathed, eyes wide. "The thief has killed so many, Fell would never side with such a psychopath!"

"But he _has_," she replied, fitfully tugging on her necklace.

"_NO_!" he yelled, anger in his gaze as the Eye of Horus on his Puzzle gleamed. "He would not violate his oath without reason!"

* * *

><p>Black and white slowly separated, certain strands refusing to separate quite yet. A craze grin greeted shining mahogany eyes. "And what was that for, slave?" he asked teasingly, "Not that I'm complaining, of course."<p>

Another crazed smile met him as the two turned back towards the palace. "Luck."

* * *

><p>The girl flinched back from her father's anger. "I'm sure he had reason," she stuttered fearfully.<p>

"What could it have been?"

"Lady Aphrodite often brings Lord Ares to kingdoms' doorsteps," Aurora offered. "Either way, it is not my wish to interfere with the gods, so if you would excuse me."

The blood drained from Pharaoh Atem's face. "Oh Ra," he breathed. "Fell was in the theif's dungeon only a moon earlier."

"I fear they're coming close." She got to the point. "What's the strategy?"

"Fetch Seth and Jono. Fell is mine." _I owe him that dignity at the very least._

"Yes Father." She slipped out of the chambers, racing down the halls to locate the priests, hoping to Ra that they weren't in bed.

* * *

><p>Kisara met Akila at the door of Priest Seth, no surprise given that she was his wife. She gave the younger girl a light smile. "What may I do for you, Akila?"<p>

"I need to speak to your husband and Jono. We're under attack!"

She bowed slightly. "I can relay the message to Seth, and I do believe Jono is at the Temple."

Akila sighed. "My Father requests Seth's assistance _immediately_. He must come as soon as he is prepared unless he wishes to assist us in our doomsday." She ran a hand through her raven hair, tousling it slightly. "Please relay that to him instantly while I retrieve Jono…" She couldn't hope to hold back the small groan that followed her sentence.

She nodded. "Of course. Jono may be a little difficult to retrieve, however, since he is in communion with our Lord Osiris."

The young girl shook her head, "I'll figure something out. I just hope he values his life more than his communion…"

* * *

><p>A slender hand told his companion to remain where he was in the enchanted tunnel he'd summoned from Anubis, that slender body sliding from the passage and into the temple of Osiris. Akefia pouted at the command but held still, recognizing that a thief worked better alone than with a partner when it came to stealth and subterfuge, no matter how good his partner may have been. The man with the jade eyes paused in an alcove, his sword sliding from its sheath as he smirked at the sight before him. The Pharaoh and the High Priest were both fond of the Golden Priest, so what better way to dishearten them than to kill the blond? Stealing close on silent boots, a gift from his patron god, he slipped his blade seamlessly into Jono's unsuspecting back, severing his spinal column and piercing his lungs easily. Wrenching the metal back, he took a quick step back to avoid the guts and crimson spilling forth. His head shot up at the sounds coming from the corridor to the main temple, so he stole back to the tunnel and Akefia, wary of looking too closely at Lord Osiris's gaze. Waiting was never a bad thing when you were a thief, provided you could be quiet and still, two things the pair had much practice in.<p>

* * *

><p>Akila was suddenly struck by the severity of the mistake her Father had made in not providing her a weapon of defense. But, nonetheless, he had sent her away with a directive and she was nothing if not obedient. She fled down the halls, hoping above all else that she wouldn't run into the thieves before retrieving Jono. She'd much rather face Jono's perverted innuendos and idiocy than die before retrieving him. If it was the last thing she did, she refused to disappoint her Father.<p>

"Miss Akila!" a young slave cried, the small child looking up at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes she'd seen in a long time. "Miss Akila! I can't wake up Jono!"

Her eyes snapped wide open. "Oh gods no!" She knelt down to the child's height and set a hand on his shoulder. "Go hide, child!" The little boy nodded, wide eyes full of panic. As soon as she assured he was running away, she raced towards the Temple and Jono.

Akefia smirked, recognizing the girl as the Pharaoh's beloved daughter. He leaned forward from the little pocket of space they'd been allotted by the grace of Anubis and scooped her up easily. "Hey Fell," he drawled, putting his free hand on his hip as he lifted her up with the crook of his elbow, "how much do you think the Pharaoh would give for this little bird?"

Akila was terrified but held herself as high as she could in her situation. She leveled a glare at Fell. "Traitor." She spat at his feet.

He didn't react at all to her statement, closing his eyes and leaning his head to the side, baring his neck and letting his long black hair fall from where it concealed his ear, where a silver Eye of Horus glinted as his earring. "The strings holding the Ma'at are particularly thin here, Akefia, and the spirits already riled by the smell of the blood I have already spilled. I would not condone any more bloodshed here, otherwise there's no telling what kind of bloodthirsty spirits we may stir up."

Akefia chuckled, shaking his head of messy white hair. "You say that as if I don't see such spirits on a daily basis."

"Ah yes," Fell replied. "I had forgotten that you bear the burdens of Kul Elna."

The girl glanced from one of her captors, to the other, confusion evident on her face.

A strange dragon appeared on Fell's shoulder, something that looked suspiciously like the small version of well renowned Rainbow Dragon he liked to duel with, only this one had shadows around it. He reached out to scratch it on the head, jade eyes thoughtful. "I guess I'll take care of Priest Seth. After all, if he figures out that we're here, I'm the only one who can properly defend against his magic."

Akefia nodded. "Fine, and as we agreed, the Pharaoh is mine. But what do we do about this?" he asked, pointedly hefting Akila a foot or so higher.

She choked as his arm lifted, clawing at his arm in an attempt to relinquish his grip around her throat. As his arm lowered a bit, she let out a small sigh of relief

Fell seriously seemed to consider the question for a moment before he murmured the words to a spell, golden chains wrapping around her wrists and ankles. "I suppose I can use her to retrieve Seth. He always was rather fond of the girl anyway."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Have you even paid _attention_ to him? He likes me about as much as anyone who chooses to remain abstinent."

"He acted the same way towards me until he caught me and your father doing it behind his throne when you were three."

She flinched. "Ew! I did _NOT_ need that mental image, and besides, is that supposed to mean he likes me?"

He shrugged, yanking on the leash he'd just fabricated for himself. "Don't know, don't care. If it's any consolation, he's a good fuck."

"Really? How the bloody _HELL_ is that supposed to console me?" She glowered at him. "But really, what are you going to do with me?"

"Use you as bait and dump your dead body in the gutter, princess."

Strangely, he frowned after that, throwing a heated glare over his shoulder at what seemed to be nothing. "I thought you said your bloodlust was only for the one who made you like this, Spirit."

He shuddered, his voice turning cold and cruel. "She carries his blood, thus she is fair game. Everyone else simply got in my way."

Akila, fully aware of Fell's condition, eyed him curiously. "Who are you, Spirit? Why do you wish harm on my father?"

A harsh yank on the leash had her stumbling to the floor. "Do not question me, princess. Who I am is of no concern to you." He stopped before the door, turning burning red eyes on her. "Now get that dumbass priest out here or I'll gut you with my knife and let you die slowly holding your intestines in your hands."

Her eyes widened, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She struggled to fight them back, wiping them away from her cheeks. She approached the doors to his chambers. "S…Seth! Get out here, you lazy ass ho!"

"… Do you really want me coming out there without any pants on?"

Despite the severity of the situation she was in, she couldn't help but groan. "Y'know, I think I've walked in on you and… a lot of people enough times to be able to handle it for a second."

"… Did you say something about the Pharaoh wanting to see me immediately?"

Fell's body pulled a wickedly curved knife from his belt, trailing the edge along his tongue as if to lap up the blood it had once been bathed in and ignoring the crimson that was now trailing across the pink, over the steel, and dripping down onto the stone floor.

"Yes." She called back, hating herself for luring someone that—if she was _brutally _honest with herself—she genuinely cared about into the hands of death. Or a death wishing spirit.

"So shouldn't I handle your father's request first?"

Fell's body pulled the knife from his lips, both sides of the steel now covered in flaky crimson-brown. "Last chance, princess," he hissed, red eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Ra damn you, Seth! Put on a damn pair of pants and get your lazy ass _out here!_ Lives depend on it!" She screeched. _Namely mine…_

"… No thanks, I'm good. I don't want to die today."

"So you'll have _me _die instead? You selfish _bastard!_" She screamed, glowering at the door so intensely that her eyes began to hurt.

"Time to die, princess," the spirit hissed, throwing his knife at the wall and catching a hand against the stone.

Kisara let out a scream of terror and pain. "Seth!"

"Kisara!" the brunet yelled, throwing open the door to meet another knife in his shoulder.

"Foolish mortals," Fell laughed, throwing his head back and revealing his twin silver earrings. "You're all just as stupid as the day your hatred created me."

Tears openly flowed down the young girl's cheeks and she cried out. "No! Please, just kill me already! I can't bear this!"

He didn't even look over at her to pin her side to the wall. "Shut your mouth. Your whining annoys me after a thousand years or so."

"Wait!" Seth yelled. "I'll take you on in a Shadow Duel!"

Fell yawned. "I have been around for far many more lifetimes than you have, but if you insist." The shadows cast by the torches grew, snaking around him, caressing him like a lover. "If you wish to duel me, then pick your monster and I'll pick mine."

"Blue Eyes, come to me!" he shouted, but the spirit merely burst out into condescending laughter.

"Oh Rainbow Dark Dragon, destroy this mockery before I fall apart."

"NO!" he yelled as the spiritual dragon fell to pieces, along with his dear wife. "Kisara!"

"And so the curtain falls on you," the spirit stated, letting the shadows spring on them and devour their souls.

His body lurched, hand flying shakily to his sword and drawing it from its sheath. "Forgive me, my Pharaoh," Fell said, his left eye gleaming a bright emerald as his right flamed vermilion. "I never knew the survivor of your father's mistake would hold the demon Zorc in his clutches." Letting go of his control, he let gravity bring the blade down and cut his marionette strings as he fell to the ground beside the friends he had betrayed.

* * *

><p>All had come to nigh, Pharaoh Atem realized as he stared into the furious eyes of the Thief King who held a dagger to his throat. Closing his eyes with a final parting wish that Akila managed to escape the palace, he activated his shadow magic to seal himself and his enemy away inside of the Millennium Items on their chests. <em>I forgive you, my friend, for it was your sacrifice that killed the demon king himself.<em>

* * *

><p>Melvin: *is happily petting new chainsaw*<p>

Die: *grumble* You're welcome.

Akila: Heey! Why'd I have to die?

Cali: To get the story going...

Akila: And why is my dad so damn gay?

Cali: The whole court's gay, curtesy of Die.

Die: *is busy reading Conspireshipping fic*

Cali: ...Except you... but you don't really get a relationship, either...

Akila: What? Why?

Cali: Your hikari does instead...

Fell: Hey, at least you don't kill yourself. Or get screwed by your own father...

Akila: O.O I won't get screwed by my own father, will I?

Cali: *glances at Die* Dunno yet.

Die: *is reading random threesomes with Seto and Yami*

Cali: *eyeroll* So anyway, since Die's distracted, I guess it's up to me, Baku, Melvin, Fell, and Akila to ask you to review. Guys?

Akila: Please don't encourage them!

Cali: *smack*

Akila: Ow!

Bakura and Melvin: *go off to random closet and toss out random bra and Yami who'd been in there*

Yami: Hi there.

Cali: This place is going to hell so I'll just say it. Please review! We will reward you with cookies or chainsaws, whichever is more apreciated. Say goodbye, Yami and Fell.

*silence*

Cali: You're both going to rot in hell. So ANYWAY, bye and thanks for reading! *smile*

*throne falls on head*

Cali: DAMN YOU! QUIT SCREWING BEHIND THE THRONE!


	2. Chapter 1

Die: ... *sigh* I wish Melvin was here... Then he could take care of Mr. Tweetums.

Cali: *blank stare* W...Y'know what, I really probably don't want you to explain this.

Akila: I can almost promise you that you made the right choice there.

Ryou: *smiles innocently* Why would you want that, Black Die?

Die: Becuase the damn bird won't shut up outside my window and I could use a chainsaw right about now.

Yugi: I can't believe Die wants to abandon us!

Die: *sticks out tongue* No one asked you, baby panda!

Cali: Abandon...? What are you talking about, sweetie? *crouches down next to Yugi*

Marik: Oh, he's just talking about how she wants to write an M-rated harem for us...

Ryou: *cocks head* What's a harem?

Yugi: What's an M-rated?

Cali: *blink* Nothing you two should worry about. So uh, anyway... *panicked look thrown in Akila's direction*

Akila: Anyone want cookies?

Ryou, Marik, and Yugi: COOKIE! *happily nom on cookies*

Ryou: *smile* None of us own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

><p>Chapter One<p>

In the dark confines of the back corners of the Pegasus mansion, were things far more disturbing than any sane person would wish to know. And among the disturbing images, creatures, and items sat a girl. She'd been locked in the back of the mansion for quite some time, though she couldn't remember exactly how long.

One thing she did know was that _eventually_ she would get out, and as soon as she did, she would enact her revenge. Not that it appeared she would be getting out any time soon. The girl sighed, rising from her position of meditation on the floor. She walked over to the door. Her fists banged against the hard wood with surprising force. "DAMMIT SETH! OPEN THIS DOOR! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BEING STUCK BACK HERE! THE MONSTERS ARE GETTING HUNGRY!"

There was no response, merely the growling of the monsters' stomachs. Akila sighed and sank against the door. She glanced at one of the neighboring (and slightly less frightening) monstrosities and offered a small smile. "Wonder what my hikari's doing…"

* * *

><p>At the same time, said hikari was starting at a new school. She groaned and pushed her hair from her face, eyes falling on a short kid with insane hair. <em>I'm so freaking lost… might as well ask for some direction.<em>

She made her way towards the short guy, clearing her throat cautiously. "Uh, hi…"

He gave her a weak smile. "Hi there." He brightened slightly. "Oh! Are you Kaiba's fiancée? He did say she was coming to our school soon." _He also said that we were to keep our distance from her as much as we could so that she didn't get involved in the shit that just seems to follow us around… or at least, it did before Yami and the others left us._

She blinked in surprise, "Kaiba as in Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp? Um, no. Never met 'im."

"Oh." He gave her another one of his weak smiles. "My name's Yugi Moto. Would you like to hang out with me and my friends today?"

"Livi Hart, and if it wouldn't be too much of a bother, I'd love to." She offered a blinding smile.

He nodded. "Oh, I'm sure Ryou would love to have someone to keep him company today. He's been rather suicidal ever since Ba- his cousin left for England."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "That's awful. I'm so sorry…" _What else do you _say _to that?_

"Still, it's better than Marik was," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Marik actually almost died a few times before his sister found him and sent him over to stay with us in Japan."

Her eyes widened even further. "Um…wow." _I picked some WEIRD people… way to go Livi…_ She offered a mildly terrified grin. _Damn, if only I still had Akila. She'd pop up right about now and get me away from them… gah, I'm screwed._

"Hey Yug!" a blond boy called, coming over to use the smaller as a headrest. "Who's the hot chic?"

Livi offered a terse, close-lipped smile. _Oh, I'm just gonna _love _this one._ "Livi Hart." She grit her teeth. "And you are?"

"Oh! I'm Joey Wheeler, third-ranked duelist in the world."

"Joey, are you molesting small children again?"

He turned to the other boy who just came over. "Shuddap Duke, it was only that one time! And we all agreed it didn't count since it was Ryou."

Livi's eyebrows rose, "Molesting small… I don't wanna ask." She glanced at Duke, who, she couldn't like, made her knees turn mildly jelly-like. "And you are?"

"I'm Duke Devlin, CEO of Dungeon Dice Monsters." Joey opened his mouth, but Duke shot him a glare. "Don't you dare say it."

"But isn't that game just like Duel Monsters?"

"Dammit Tristan, I told you not to say it!"

"Technically, you told Joey not to say it." Livi threw in, unable to hold back her trademark smart-ass remarks. "And I'm Livi, by the way."

"Tristan 'Timothy' Taylor, and you should be more careful. Apparently there's a serial killer stalking the streets again, and without Fell to take care of things, it's not really all that safe out."

"But Tristan, what about the police?" Yugi asked.

Joey snorted. "Take it from someone who knows firsthand, the police are idiots."

She laughed, becoming a bit less worried about their sanity. "That would be part of the reason I'm here. The police's utter incompetence is astounding."

"Oh hey guys, Anzu's dead." Silence reined for a moment while everyone stared blankly at the newcomer, a white-haired boy.

Livi stared blankly along with the rest until she shook out of her confusion. "Who's Anzu and was she a victim of the serial killer?"

"Yugi's girlfriend-"

"Is not!"

"And a friend of theirs. I don't know how she died, Marik and I just passed some rats feasting on her corpse in an alleyway as we were coming to school this morning."

"Yeah," the Egyptian boy added, having finally padlocked his motorcycle to his satisfaction, "if it weren't for 'Kura and Mel, we likely would've… hey, who replaced the slut without asking us?"

Livi's fist fell to her waist, glaring coldly at the boy. "Who the hell are you calling a slut, dumbass? You don't know a damn thing about me."

"You, whorebiscuit."

"Mariiiiik," the white-haired boy whined, "it's too early for you to be acting like a complete wanker."

Livi grit her teeth but couldn't hold back, swinging her hand across the Egyptian's face. Her nails raked across his face, leaving thin gashes across his cheek.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you, whorebiscuit," the boy snarled, his voice turning shadowy. "You might not like the hug you get for it."

Before something else could happen, a broad shoulder forced them apart. "Move it or lose it, geeks," a cold voice snarled.

The girl being dragged behind the brunet boy offered them a soft smile, her yellow eyes softening. "My apologies, Seto's just in a hurry," she murmured, her hair shining in the early morning sun and making her hair turn the color of the darkest smoke.

"Don't bother to talk to the trash, Felicity. They aren't worth your time." And just like that, they were gone, the girl managing to give one more apologetic expression and a wave before she was pulled into the main building.

Livi glanced at Yugi, "Seto Kaiba?"

Joey was still bristling as he glared daggers at the building. "Who else do you think is enough of an asshole to do something like that?"

Ryou bit his lip, rummaging around in Marik's bag. "I know I've heard the name Felicity before," he muttered to himself, then pulled out a rather girly tabloid magazine.

"That's not mine!" Marik protested before anyone could say anything, but Ryou was too busy flipping through the pages.

"There!" he said, stabbing the grainy picture of what was obviously Maximillion Pegasus and… Felicity? "I knew I'd seen her somewhere before!"

"Felicity Pegasus? Yeah, she's CEO of Industrial Illusions. Interesting that she's the one engaged to Kaiba." The girl glanced after the two CEOs, then back at Marik. "I swear to Ra—I mean, God…" She choked up, biting her lip. _Damn it, why'd I have to screw up like that?_

Marik's eyes narrowed, the only warning they all received before he had sprung, pinning her to the wall with his hand at her throat and his lavender eyes flashing dangerously. "How do you know that name?" he snarled. "And don't lie to me. Ryou will know when you're lying."

Her eyes snapped wide, mouth open in surprise. But again, a smart-ass remark slipped out. "Sure, rely on your boyfriend to be your lie detector. Must make _your_ relationship fun."

His fingers tightened until she was gasping for breath, fingernails scrabbling bluntly at his hands. "Talk. Now."

"Can't. Breathe." She choked, breathing out deeply as he released his grip some. She struggled to breathe normally, staring at the floor until her level gaze moved up to his face. "The spirit Akila, daughter of Pharaoh Atem, once inhabited my body. She left a few months ago and I haven't heard from her since, but nonetheless, I picked up some of her mannerisms. Now could you get the hell off of me?" She glared at him pointedly. "You're invading my personal space bubble."

He smirked. "I don't like your attitude, whorebiscuit. Why don't you try asking a little more nicely?"

A slender hand on his shoulder had him looking over to see the girl Felicity standing there. "Don't," she whispered. "Nothing's worth taking a life." She then moved back to where Seto was standing in shock that she'd wrenched herself from them. "Oh yes, and Yugi, Ryou, I wouldn't mind if you came back to my house later. I have a problem that needs your help fixing."

Livi's gaze traveled after Felicity, curiosity sparked in her eyes. _She looks so familiar… like something I've seen in Akila's head._ The minor tightening of Marik's hand around her throat drew her attention back to him. Her words came out much more formal, and though a smidge of mocking still bled through. "Removing your hand from my neck would be most appreciated, for I fear I will bruise and people will assume that I am being abused by someone which would lead to attention I would most definitely not wish for. Thank you."

"Much better, whorebiscuit," Marik approved. "Now come on, kitty."

"I'm not a kitty," Ryou growled, looking uncharacteristically murderous, which caused everyone to stare at the normally innocent boy in shock.

"Shut up, Kitty." Marik replied, leaving the group as they headed towards the school building.

Livi's hands went up to her throat, probing gently at the finger marks that now decorated her body. They were tender, and from what she could tell, likely to bruise. She hefted herself to her feet with a groan and turned to Yugi. "Are they always like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"The whorebiscuit thing is new, and he doesn't _usually_ pin people to the wall." Joey threw in.

"And Ryou doesn't usually look like an angry cat plotting vicious revenge."

"NOT A KITTY!"

Livi sighed. "Ra Almighty, what have I gotten myself into?" She glanced at the boys around her. _They look so normal… but they're all insane. Except maybe Duke… Duke! Oh, thank Ra I'm not using my first name…_ She threw a glance at the boy in question, noting again that he was the jelly-leg-inflicting kind of gorgeous. _Oh, I'm so screwed._

* * *

><p>Seto and his girl weren't seen again until lunch time, where the two CEOs sat together, the former firmly ignoring her with his laptop and the latter playing a game of solitaire… with her duel monsters cards. "Hey Ryou," Yugi muttered, "does she look familiar or something?"<p>

Marik nodded. "Yeah. She looks a lot like this one boy who kept defeating all my Steves during the Battle City tournament."

"Maybe she has a yami too." Joey ventured.

Livi plopped down beside Joey and dropped her tray on the table. "Who might have a yami?"

"Felicity." Joey replied.

"Oh… huh, I don't know." She glanced over at the CEOs. "It seems like a lot of people do, so it wouldn't surprise me. Was there anyone who could've been?"

Ryou, Marik, and Yugi glanced at each other. "I don't know," Yugi said. "We lost our yamis six months ago."

"Yeah, Akila left around then, too. But I remember some random stuff from her memories… and she looks familiar in the face… but I can't quite place it." Her hand came up to her neck again, fingers dancing lightly around the edges of her bruise.

Felicity looked up at them, blinking her topaz eyes at them before she turned to Seto, whispering something into his ear, her hair shifting slightly to reveal a glint of silver. "The Eye of Horus?" Ryou murmured to himself, frowning. "But those are never depicted in silver, only gold."

A flash of a Akila's memory hit Livi, each image containing the same man with bright emerald eyes and silver earrings. "Ohmygod. Fell…"

Joey looked up at here. "Who?"

"Fell. The Pharaoh's Champion and Traitor. Killer of Akila…" It was hard to keep the judgment and anger from her voice. Her mouth curled into a frown.

"Really? She seems like such a sweet girl," Tristan said. "After all, she stopped Marik from strangling you."

"Hey Ryou," Marik said, "I didn't know you ate meat."

"I don't," Ryou stated. "I'm vegetarian." It took him a moment to realize it was the cafeteria's mystery meat that was sitting half-eaten on his tray. "OH MY RA!" he yelled, running towards the bathrooms with his hand over his mouth.

"What was _that_ about?" She threw a glance around the table. "Vegetarians don't eat meat… as a rule. So…what…who? Is he high or something?"

"No," Yugi said, looking a little nauseous at the memories. "But his yami Bakura loves his meat… especially _raw_ meat."

"But what does that have to do with anything? His yami left…"

"Exactly. But think about it. Melvin, Marik's yami, was a psychotic entity who 'hugged' people with chainsaws and was rather fond of calling Mai Valentine a whorebiscuit. Add to that the fact that you and Felicity, two more people with yamis, just happen to enter our school, and something's smelling fishy," Joey said, then noticed how Yugi was looking down at his hands. "It's okay, Yug. I'm sure Yami'll hit you soon."

Tristan reached over and slapped him upside the head, knocking him over. Since he was currently otherwise occupied, the girl in their midst directed her question at Joey. "Who was his yami?"

"Dunno, we only ever knew him as 'Yami'."

"Hello," a soft voice said, and they turned to see Felicity standing there, her head cocked to the side and dark gray hair falling over her eyes. "Would you happen to know where my special card went? I can't lose it, it's the card my uncle gave me."

"What is it?" Yugi asked, always willing to help out a fellow duelist.

"Toon World."

Livi tugged her lip between her teeth, debating between helping a fellow girl and duelist and slapping the hikari of the yami who killed hers. "No… but I guess… I could…. Help you look for it… If you'd like." She bit out through gritted teeth. She pushed herself up and stepped away from the table, scouring the floor.

Felicity offered a bow. "Thanks. If you'd like, I'll duel you once we find the card? I'm the fourth-ranked duelist in the world you know."

Livi glanced at Yugi, "I think it'd be interesting to play you… if Yugi doesn't mind?"

The star-haired boy shook his head. "No, I… haven't really been into that sort of thing since Yami left."

Felicity smiled, moving her shoe to reveal the card had been hidden beneath her boot. "Wonderful! I'll expect to see you at Kaibaland by eight!" Bouncing over to Seto, who shot them all a glare of death and destruction, he pulled her away.

"Oh, I'm so screwed." Livi groaned, glancing at the boys. "What do I do? She's number _four_. I haven't played anyone who ranks that high. I don't want to lose too badly."

"Well, her deck is a lot like Pegasus's from the sound of it. Would you like to come round my place and practice by dueling me today?" Yugi asked.

"Play the number one? I'm even _more_ likely to lose." She groaned, running her hand through her hair. "But I guess the practice in getting my ass kicked'll be good."

Ryou came back looking a deal paler and more drawn. "What did I miss?"

* * *

><p>Cali: Well that was... interesting. What's up with Felicity bowing?<p>

Livi: I dunno... but I'm gonna get my ass kicked. *glare* Thanks Die.

Die: *is too busy reading darkshipping to notice*

Cali: Oh, Kura's gonna freak. *sigh* I guess that means we should try to close this quickly...

Akila: By the way, have we figured out if I'm going to be lonely forever?

Cali: *non comittal sound*

Die: YEAH! TAKE THAT YAMI!

Bakura: *evil laugh* I like this fic...

Livi, Cali, and Akila: Ra Almighty... *sigh with head in hands*

Livi: I say we close this immediately. I don't want to scar our readers.

Akila: I agree. And besides, I have to go hunt down my dad...

Cali: Uh...why?

Akila: To slap him

Cali and Livi: Uh, why?

Akila: He let Fell lock me in the back... alone... he's an awful father.

Bakura: And you're only just now realizing this?

Yugi: Um, reviews will be met with baby panda plushies?

Akila: No... well... I mean, I just thought he was sex crazed... Anyway, whether it be panda plushies, cookies, or chainsaws, your reviews will be met with something entertaining. Hope you enjoyed. *smile*

Die: *falls over with nosebleed*

Bakura: *absently* Looks like she found the M-rated fics...

Cali: And this is where we end it. Thanks y'all and uh... have a good day!


	3. Chapter 2

Yami: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD READ SUCH SLANDER ABOUT ME!

Die: *eyes huge as she reads fic*

Bakura: *waggles eyebrows* Oh come on, Pharaoh, you know you want it...

Yami: GAH!

Akila: And _again, _I get to watch my father being seduced... This is so screwed up.

Cali: Yeah...

Livi: Is she ever gonna get out of the back room?

Cali: *shrug* Can't give that away, now can I?

Livi and Akila: *glare*

Melvin: OOOH, I WANT IN ON THIS! *jumps on top of Die, Bakura, and Yami*

Cali, Livi, and Ryou: O.O

Akila: Ra damn you all! We have an audience, y'know.

Die: Then they're just voyeurs... *goes back to making out with yamis*

Cali, Livi, and Ryou: O.O

Akila: *sigh* Since the actual WRITERS are distracted, I'll do this. None of the psychos and scarred children own Yu-Gi-Oh!, much to their displeasure. So I guess we'll start this chapter now and save you from going blind...

Melvin: OH RA, HARDER!

* * *

><p>Chapter Two<p>

Livi glanced around Kame Game Shop, noting the cards on display with interest. "Your Grandpa owns a game shop? No wonder you're so good." She threw a smile at Yugi.

He blushed. "Nah. Yami was the one who did most of the work and Grandpa made the deck I use."

She shrugged. "I'm sure you're good without your yami." She continued to admire the cards, moving in for a closer look. "But yamis always seem to be stronger than their hikari, so I can see where you got that idea."

"Not always. Marik was stronger than Melvin was, but that could be because he wasn't made the same way the rest of our yamis were."

That caught her attention and she turned away from the cards. "How was Melvin made?"

"He's a spirit that was created from Marik's hate for the Pharaoh on his tenth birthday after he just had his back sliced open repeatedly with a heated knife. Melvin then proceeded to take the Millennium Rod and use it to stab Marik's father repeatedly with the blade inside it."

Her eyes flashed wide open in horror. "Oh my Ra. That's awful. Why did his father… I mean, was that really necessary?"

"…Considering that his father was an asshole who thought it was okay to whip his children and even had the balls to almost rape the boy on numerous occasions, perhaps it was warranted. And as for the cutting… well… it was on the Pharaoh's orders."

Livi looked shocked. "Akila never said her father was that vicious. Arrogant and a closet gay, yes, but cruel? No…"

Yugi stared at her in shock. "Yami was gay?" Suddenly, the reasoning of calling him 'aibou' was becoming clear.

Livi stared back, eyes wide. "Your yami was the _Pharaoh_?"

"Well, Ryou's yami was the Thief King!"

"Oh holy hell! You're technically the reincarnation of my… dad…. By a far stretch of the imagination." She reared back slightly, face comically horrified. "Weirdness!"

"… Does that mean I have a _daughter_?" he asked, horror in his eyes.

Marik waltzed in, a smirk on his face. "Who'd you knock up this time, Yugi?"

Yugi stared at him in horror, and Livi gave him a confused look. "I assume you're being sarcastic?"

"… Yes and no. Rebecca had him play house with her one time and he was the daddy."

Her eyebrow arched, currently disregarding the fact that they were talking about her 'dad.' "Again, assuming he didn't actually knock her up."

"Well, she's eight. But they _did_ have two kids: Teddy and Joey."

Yugi was a bright pink at this point. "Marik, what're you doing here!"

The Egyptian looked at him for a long moment. "You mean other than tormenting you?"

"I would figure that's exactly what he meant." Livi said, throwing a bemused look at Marik, then choosing to separate herself from the conversation. She made her way over to the cards again, searching for something that may help her in her fight against the other new girl. She doubted she'd find anything.

Marik left the shop a few minutes later, leaving Yugi to struggle underneath a large stack of papers that were so yellowed and crumbling that it was fairly obvious he'd used Ishizu's connections to borrow them from the museum. After obtaining some help setting them on the counter, he flipped through the pages, pausing on a sketch of a black-haired man with a long curving sword kneeling before Anubis, his single emerald eye glaring out at them as he was surrounded by transparent specters. "Is this Fell, Livi?"

She stared at the picture for a moment, carefully comparing the image in her head to the image on the page. "Yes…" At first she was hesitant, then another flash filled her memory, encouraging her. With more conviction, she nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Marik said he looked a lot like the guy taking down all his Steves." He looked over at the clock and yelped. "Is that the time already? We're going to be late for your duel with Felicity!"

* * *

><p>Felicity lounged against the bar of the dueling platform, her baggy shirt hanging off her body and her jeans tightening only in the lower part of her legs, a pair of combat boots on her feet. She straightened out only when she saw the others come in, clutching a handful of cards in her hand. She gestured towards the already active field. "I hope you don't mind, but I set up already and took my turn."<p>

Livi shook her head, tugging on the hem of her tank-top. "Not at all." She was nervous, though she hid it fairly well. Mostly, she couldn't help but dislike the girl before her due to the reputation and actions of her yami, no matter how sweet she was in person. She made sure her gaze was level and set up.

Two facedown cards were already on the field, along with a Toon Gemini Elf. Noticing there wasn't anything she had that could beat the card yet, she placed two cards facedown herself, along with setting a monster in defense mode. Felicity activated Toon World, smiling softly before a tear fell from her eye. "This was Uncle's favorite card," she whispered to herself before shaking her head, summoning Toon Goblin Force only for it to be taken by a Trap Hole. She played another facedown card but was prevented from attacking with Threatening Roar and ended her turn. "Your move, Miss Livi."

Livi glance down at her cards, sighing in predefined defeat. She placed another card face down and put a monster in defense mode, groaning to herself internally. _Akila would kick my ass for so obviously being close to losing this early in the game. _

Felicity drew and special summoned Toon Mermaid in attack mode, another card Yugi recognized from his duel with Pegasus. She then turned her attention towards another attack with elf card, only for Sakuretsu Armor to activate and destroy the monster. "Your move again, Miss Livi."

The younger of the two girls smiled as she watched her trap card rid her opponent of the elf. A grin crossed her face, as she summoned Kings Knight in attack mode. She glanced back at her opponent, a smirk on her face though she was still pretty sure she'd lose. The elder just waggled her finger. "Ah ah ah, I activate Bottomless Trap Hole, which destroys your monster. Sorry, but you'll need to do better than that."

Livi huffed, flipping Amazoness Blow Piper and Amazoness Fighter. She sent them to attack, but Felicity just used her own Sakuretsu Armor on the Amazoness Blow Piper and Draining Shield on the Amazoness Fighter when they attempted to destroy her Toon Mermaid. Next, she summoned Toon Masked Sorcerer before attacking with the Toon Mermaid, knocking her lifepoints down from 4000 to 2600. "Your move again, Miss Livi."

Livi glowered. "Quit it with the 'Miss' crap, would you?" She drew again, summoning Mataza the Zapper. Then she sent Mataza to attack, knocking her from 4000 to 2200. She couldn't help but grin triumphantly, if only for a moment.

After placing another card facedown, using Draining Shield with the newly-summoned Queen's Knight, the attacks of her opponent's monsters brought Felicity's lifepoints to zero. "Very good," Felicity murmured, her sole card hitting the field as she laid it down, causing the image of the Horn of the Unicorn to appear. At the sight of the card that meant she could have won, she bit her lip and darted off, her hair flying behind her.

"Hey!" Yugi yelled, noticing the girl's chest was a little too flat. "Get back here Felicity!" The maze of corridors was confusing, so it was unsurprising that Yugi ran into someone. However, when he saw who it was, he couldn't help but freeze.

"Hello Yugi-chan," Felicity murmured, brushing off her light green dress. "What are you doing back here? This area is for employees only."

Livi, who had been following close behind, rounded the corner and plowed straight into Yugi. She fell to the ground on top of him, scrambling off of him as fast as she could. "Sorry Yug…" She gazed up at Felicity and tilted her head. "Why'd you run off? I mean, I didn't take you for a sore loser."

Felicity cocked her head. "What are you talking about? I haven't played Duel Monsters in months."

The other girl shook her head, dark hair flying in all directions. "I _just _played you. I won, too, but… you should know that. You were _there._"

"No I didn't. I was here as a proxy for Seto for a conference with Duke Devlin, trying to make him understand that the Dark Magician Dice Monster is copyright infringement of Duel Monsters, of which KaibaCorp has a considerable amount of interest invested in."

"No. You were just playing me. You can ask Yugi or Joey or… don't ask Tristan, he's an idiot… but Ryou was there and… I swear to Ra, you were there." She sounded weary, torn between thinking the other girl had some form of short term memory or the notion that she was totally messing with her head.

"Think about it. If I had really been dueling you, would I have had enough of a headstart to have the time to change into this dress _and _lace up the back?"

"Well, probably not, but… but… it _looked_ like you. Exactly like you, but in baggier clothes…" Her eyebrows shot up, recognition dawning on her face. "There's no way…"

"Um… I have to go… Seto needs me to pick up Mokuba…" Felicity said, but upon seeing the realization dawning on the other girl's face, she ran, her high heels clicking on the floor as she darted around security guards and barriers until she reached the elevator to the main level and entered it, a look of pure terror on her face for the brief moment they saw her.

Livi's expression changed from recognition to pure anger. "What the _hell_? Everyone's running away, I played _the_ traitor, and I still have NO freaking clue why the hell Fell would want to play against me? Gah!" She slammed her fist against the closest wall which was coincidentally about two inches from Yugi's face, flinching in regret.

Yugi looked like a baby puppy who had just had a thermometer shoved up his ass. Livi groaned, clutching her hand in the other and shot him a sorrowful look. "Damn, sorry Yugi. You okay?" She took a small step closer, unsure of _his_ chances of running away, too.

He shook his head, eyes wide with fright that was slowly calming. "Yeah, give me a minute." He bit his lip. "I wonder if she knew her yami was here?"

"From that reaction, probably not. But if she did, she'd told him not to do anything stupid. But he's a guy so…" Upon Yugi's glance in her direction, she paused. "No, not you… I'm not saying _all_ guys are stupid… just _most_ of them… you're not included in that… I… I'm gonna shut up now." _Smooth move, Liv. Be a bitch on your first day._

"Wonder if Kaiba will give us her address…" he mused to himself. "After all, if she has her yami, whether she knows it or not, she's bound to have _some_ information about the others, right?"

"Probably, since she seems to be the only one who still has theirs." She leaned against the wall, planting the bottom of her heeled boot on the wall. She bit her lip in consideration, "How well do you guys know Kaiba?"

"… Well, I'm his arch rival… and he hates Joey… and he doesn't know Ryou or Marik other than from Battle City, and he didn't really like them either…"

"Then why in _hell_ would he give us his fiancée's address? He's not stupid."

"Maybe Mokuba will be able to convince him to do it?" he offered weakly, giving her a sheepish smile.

"Who's Mokuba? And is this about Pha-I mean, Yami?" She arched an eyebrow in a 'don't lie to me' kind of way.

"Mokuba is Kaiba's little brother. Kaiba'd do anything for him."

"Way to avoid the second question." She laughed, giving him a small smile.

"I didn't answer it because I assumed it would be obvious!" he fired back at her, eyes burning. "You have to be missing your yami just as fiercely as I'm missing mine! Hell, losing our yamis is what made Marik and Ryou suicidal in the first place! It's what gave me these!" He yanked on his sleeve, revealing the white lines trailing down his wrist and arm.

Surprised at his ferocity, she stumbled, trying to step back before she realized she was standing against a wall. She glanced down the hall, running a hand through her hair. She looked down at Yugi, voice soft as she brushed the tears from her eyes. "Of course I miss her. I have no idea what _happened_ to her. But I also know that Akila would get pissed at me for staying depressed because she's not around. So I'm trying to _move on_. Forgive me for trying to get over my suicidal tendencies." By the end, she couldn't help but glare.

"I'm not suicidal!" Yugi yelled. "Yami made me promise I wouldn't kill myself, and I haven't! I'M NOT SUICIDAL!"

Her face softened, voice following. "Yugi, I wasn't talking about you. I said _I _was suicidal. Not you. I know you're not." She set her hand hesitantly on his shoulder.

He was trembling. "I miss him so much, Livi. I just-" a sob caught in his throat and he buried his face in her chest.

She pulled him closer, petting his hair soothingly and holding him gently. "I know, Yug. I know." She fought back her own tears, pushing them back out of concern for the small boy. "We'll find him, I promise."

"So," he asked, "Do you think Kaiba will give us the key?"

"It's worth a try…" She replied slowly, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "But if not, we'll still figure something out."

* * *

><p>"… No."<p>

"No!" Yugi yelped, "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no. Unless you'd prefer no chance in hell?"

Livi leveled her glare. "C'mon, Kaiba. Don't be an ass."

"I'm not. I'm making sure my fiancée has some quality rest tonight. She's been running around like an idiot as the temporary CEO of Industrial Illusions while her uncle's missing. Excuse me for taking care of the woman I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with."

Livi softened a bit, unable to really fight that logic. "I… well…" She sighed, throwing a look at Yugi. "I really can't find a flaw in that logic."

Yugi let out a little pained cry. "Please, Seto, it's important!"

"And if she's anything like her yami, she's not getting much sleep tonight, anyway." Livi muttered to herself.

He shot her a withering glare. "Felicity Pegasus is not a slut, thank you very much. She survived eleven years of living with her uncle, so I'd assume that she's found an excellent way to vent without losing her virginity or getting pregnant." He was quiet for a moment. "I thought girls could masturbate."

The lone girl in the room blinked in shock. "Wh…where did… what the _hell_, Kaiba? That's…oh my _Ra_, why did I agree to this?"

"Because you love me?" Yugi said, shooting her the puppy dog eyes.

"I've known you for a _day_." She replied. "But… yeah, I do, strangely enough." She turned to Seto, who was making gagging motions behind them and hastily stopped when she faced him. "Please, Seto. I don't think I can take watching him that upset again. And she might know something about my yami and…_Please_."

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to do this simply for your own personal gain. She has her own problems, you know."

"So does everyone else on the planet. Why don't you call her and ask her?" Livi arched an eyebrow. "That wouldn't hurt anyone."

"… She hasn't gotten her phone lines up yet, and she left her cell phone in my limo."

"Are you seriously _that_ determined to keep us from her place? We're not going to hurt her. We just need to ask a few questions and I want to talk to her yami. I wouldn't hurt her for something her yami has done."

"She asked me specifically to not allow people to her place. Thus, it isn't my fault I can't let you two go see her."

Livi sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "What about your yami? Do you know where he is?"

"…"

"That's such a yes it's sad. You're an awful liar, Kaiba. But let me guess, he's at you fiancée's house?" She rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"You know nothing, Livi, about me, my yami, or Felicity," he snarled. "Now either give me a good reason by my definition why you should see her or get the fuck out of my office."

She thought for a moment, watching Kaiba carefully. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Seth… huh." She let out a small laugh. "But in regards to a good reason… I don't think I have any that are good by _your_ standards, Mr. Kaiba." She sniffed sarcastically.

"Then get the fuck out of my office."

Livi rolled her eyes, grabbing Yugi by the arm. "We'll find a better way. I promise we'll get our information." She had one foot out the door when she paused. "Wait…"

She turned to Kaiba with a smirk on her face. "Do you remember when she saved me from suffocating at the hand of that bastard of an Egyptian?"

"Yes. She told me… something important and then toyed with you losers."

She smiled, "She told Yugi and Ryou that they could come over. That she needed their help with something." She snorted triumphantly. "Didn't she, Yug?"

He nodded, hopeful, but Seto just stood from his chair, his hands slamming down on his desk. "So she invited you to her house, whoop-de-fucking-do. She never said anything about tonight, so kindly get the fuck out of my office before I call security on your asses."

She let out a low growl. "You're a fucking asshole." She snagged Yugi's arm. "C'mon Yugi. He's not worth our time. We can find someone who doesn't have a damn _stick _up his ass that'll help us unlike this self-serving son of a bitch."

He waved sarcastically until they left, when Felicity herself stepped out from a concealed part of the paneling and strode over to them. "Did you hear that? They know about us, Fell."

"I know, Seth, I'm not stupid." He rolled his emerald eyes expressively, letting go of the spell to keep them topaz now that he didn't need them. "However, I am rather intrigued by that last part of what she said. Care to take up with it at my place?"

A shiver ran up the brunet's spine as he purred, "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

><p>Cali: *pets Ryou's hair*<p>

Ryou: O.O

Livi: ...oh... my... Ra.

Akila: *sigh* You really couldn't've survived in court...

Die: *happy smile as she plays with Bakura's hair* Hey, there IS a reason why I usually write M-rated fics, you know...

Bakura: Mmm, and those are rather delicious...

Melvin: Agreed...

Akila: ...where'd Dad go?

Livi: Who cares? I don't want it to start again!

Ryou: O.O

Cali: _Why did I agree to write with her...?_

Bakura: *pulls Ryou down on top of him*

Marik: *looks up from where he was sleeping between Melvin and Die* Hi Ryou.

Cali: Umm... we promise cookies and chainsaws and baby panda plushies and-

Die: Bits of Marik's shirt! *smiles* Or his pants. No wait, that's mine...

Cali: _Fine. _We offer cookies, chainsaws, baby panda plushies, and bits of Marik's shirt if you review!

Livi: Why would anyone want the last one?

Akila: Psychotic fan-girls. You get used to it after a while...

Livi: Oh... okay.

Die: ... Unless you wanna watch round 2, I'd suggest you leave now.

Cali and Livi: *flee like hell hounds are attacking them*

Akila: *sigh* Thanks for reading. See you soon... maybe.

*collective moan from pile of naked people and Ryou*

Akila: Yeah... I think we're done. Bye!


	4. Cut 1: Regret

Die: *tear* THIS MAKES ME SO SAD!

Cali: Yeah... it's pretty depressing. I'm not gonna lie... you did good on this one.

Die: *sniffle* Yeah...

Bakura: WHY AM I NOT IN THIS ONE?

Die: Um... um... um... DARKSHIPPING FIC!

Bakura: Ooooooooooooooooo...

Cali: *head shake and eyeroll* I have _no _clue what those children are on, but I don't want any. I hope Melvin put it in the cookies instead of the muffins...

Melvin: I didn't put anything in anywhere. Except my dick... into numerous other people...

Cali: Unnecessary detail Melvin. What have we said about this?

Melvin: You never said anything about it, and besides, aren't Die and Kura worse than me?

Cali: ...usually.

Melvin: And besides, it was Marik who had the drugs, which he got from Yugi and Yami's place...

Cali: Aaaaaaaaaanyway... let's go to the cut, why don't we?

Melvin: This cut, which is entirely Black Die's contribution, is in no way part of Yu-Gi-Oh! because she does not own it... Radammit...

Cali: Several cuts from both of us will be contributed through out the story... anyway, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Cut One: Regrets<p>

Fell yawned like a cat, stretching his limbs like a cat as he opened his emerald eyes sleepily to the sight of the chest of his brunet lover, who was still asleep. He couldn't contain a light chuckle at how his normally-wary lover relaxed so completely when in the arms of either him or his sweet hikari. Sensing the other half of his soul cleaning herself up in their shower—she may have been comfortable curling up to sleep between the resident psychopaths, not a bad idea considering that the only thing that could possibly threaten her in such a position would be Melvin and Bakura themselves, but since she wasn't officially one of their lovers, she didn't use their shower—he decided to join her, pausing to drop a kiss on Seth's forehead before he clambered out of their bed and padded over to the door.

Felicity smiled gently at him when he pushed aside the curtain, leaning in to give him a kiss. "Hello," she greeted, her smoky-gray hair turned a raven black with the water. "Did you enjoy your time alone with Seth?"

"I always do," he assured her, nuzzling into the joint between her neck and her shoulder, "but the two of us love you just as much."

She pressed another kiss on his cheek. "Wash me?"

"Shouldn't you be asking me that?"

The pair of them whirled around, the female throwing herself into the arms of the newcomer in complete dismissal of her current state. "Akefia!" she cried, burrowing herself into the broad chest of the specter only she could touch.

He smiled gently at her, reaching down to stroke his ghostly fingers through her hair and letting his touch trail down to the tattoo of the jackal on her back. It had originally been obtained in the hopes that she would be able to summon Cecelia for her uncle and instead attracted all kinds of spectral attention that even Fell had been hard-pressed to banish until the strange spirit had found her six months ago at her weakest. Fell and Akefia may not have exactly gotten along, but the former Champion had been able to accept that Akefia had saved his hikari and wormed his way into a place in her heart so deeply hidden that he would likely never be dislodged. "Take care of her," he told the spirit. "I'll go steal the other bathroom and take Seth with me." The slight narrowing of emerald eyes warned the thief that if he did not take good care of her, he'd find himself at the wrong end of the wrath of one of the few able to channel the pure spirit of Anubis through his body.

"Don't worry," Akefia soothed him, resting his chin on where her hair was parted, "I always take good care of my treasure, and that includes my precious smoky topaz."

_Black threaded through white…_

A soft smile came from Felicity as she leaned against Akefia's chest, her arms wrapping around his waist underneath his cloak. "Send my apologies to Seth, would you?"

_Seperation provided only by a crimson cloth cut as if for royalty, though it rested on one whose origins were far more humble and next to one who had touched it all his life but never dared to adorn it upon himself before_...

"Of course," he replied. "He understands that pressuring you will only end badly; the burden of bearing children is so much more problematic than it was back three thousand years ago."

_The look in those mahogany eyes had never been so distant before, as if this latest conquest was nothing more than that, but that was okay with him, for he was only a host for the spirits anyway, a brief reprieve offered to the one who had borne the pain of holding ninty-nine souls in his body at once..._

But the contrast of the two skin-tones, the paleness of the girl and the dark tan of the thief, was a huge difference from the past, along with the mindset of the medium. She understood that he would not always be there for her… and she was content to wait until he was. Why he always came back to her Fell would never understand, but it did not matter so long as he returned to her side and she was willing to wait for him to do so. Those who served Anubis with all their hearts usually fell in love with the departed, Fell knew the only reason he hadn't was because he had taken up a profession in the dark art of killing, but the this one was different. So long as Akefia and Felicity could touch, he would not protest their relationship.

As always, Felicity's fingers flew to the scar beneath Akefia's right eye, tracing the harsh white lines with her characteristic gentleness as soon as her yami had retreated back to the bedroom. Just as he would trace the lines of her tattoo, she would follow the harsh scar with abject fascination. "I brought you back a gift," he stated gently, leaning into the touch and looking at her through half-lidded eyes. His free hand, the one that wasn't brushing down the jackal's back towards its tail, surfaced from inside his crimson cloak, revealing a small glass vial of honey-colored liquid. "It's soap from your hair that I thought you'd like."

She planted a kiss on the corner of his jaw. "I love it," she told him, uncorking the vial and wafting the scent of honey and coconut towards herself, two products from his homeland that the ghost had told her he had adored. It didn't matter what kind of little trinket he'd bring back for her, she would always treasure it dearly because _he_ had given it to her, not that the matter of her disliking the gift ever came up because he was always thoughtful and got her things she would complain about needing, something that was modest enough for her to wear to the functions she'd go to without worry that it would be stolen from her, or an item with a practical use.

She tried to pull away slightly, reaching for the soap, but his arms constricted around her. "Don't," he whispered, struggling to rationalize what he wanted to her before he recalled how she never held him to the cruel, strong exterior he exalted in. "Just let me hold you for a while." Part of him may have adored her warmth, that of the living, as it lit a gentle fire in his cold body, but he knew it was hardly that sole reason for wanting her close. Her affections left him so much warmer than the other spirits, only a little colder than her own body, but to be honest, he liked to feel her heart beat against his still body. She bore a burden that was just as demanding as his had been when he was alive, and it was that understanding that had led him to helping her like her yami had done to them both. Even now, the horrors she'd seen, ones that he thought were more fit for the yamis who were born to handle such darkness, haunted her eyes, hiding only when she was curled up in his arms or when her yami was in control.

Shaking himself, he reached out and ran the soap over her, part of him wanting to just hold her close. Her crimson dreams scared him, and he wasn't above admitting it. Normally one did not almost die in their dreams. Normally one was not covered in lifeblood in their dreams, the liquid dripping down their arms and seductively across their pale flesh. Being her chosen spirit, something she'd offered without him asking for or expecting repayment, allowed him to view her dreams, something about them being windows to the heart's deepest desires, and it scared him. He didn't know if it was some lingering effect of Fell's influence or if it was her own desire to cover herself in her own blood, but he didn't like it. If she died in her dreams, her connection with Anubis would ensure her death in the physical world, something she was ignorant about. He'd already had to throw things at her yami numerous times to get his attention so that he could awaken her before she faded from this world entirely, but never had he had to do such a thing so many times as he had when he was out this time. That was why he did not protest against having to clean her himself, the water falling through his body, or simply standing there under the shower's spray until the hot water began to run out.

Akefia did not want to leave the girl, but as Felicity's chosen, it was his duty to handle the spirits who sought to antagonize her and the ones who sought to escape from Osiris's realm. If he fulfilled her duties, the ones she wasn't even aware she had, perhaps she would never know of the curse the two of them shared. She could not die at the hands of any save the one she loved. He could not be with her because if he ever admitted to her his feelings, the Pharaoh's curse would activate from the tombs he had robbed and she would be stricken dead where she stood. "I have to leave," he told her softly, his fingers curling under her chin and pushing it up so that they stared at each other's eyes.

"I understand," she murmured. "Be safe."

He nodded. "I will." The words were never spoken between them, but he could see the truth in her eyes. Even if she did not know what he felt for her, the fact that he came back told her that he was fond enough of her as a lover to return a small measure of her feelings. She could live with that.

Seth was the one to find her lying there under the ice-cold spray of water, her hair hanging over her face to hide her tears. Fell scooped her up into his arms, the yami and hikari making quite the sight with their pale flesh resting against each other, but Seth couldn't help but give nothing more than a forlorn smile as he turned off the water falling onto their naked bodies. He did not understand why Felicity was determined to remain alone when it made her so sad, but so long as he and Fell were there to pick her up when she fell down, he understood that she would be fine. She would smile that broken smile and soldier on. She always had, and no one was ever the wiser. No one other than the priest and the champion, and that was how it would always be. Neither of them noticed the thief hiding in the shadows, cursing Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen with all he had for bestowing this one last injustice upon him.

* * *

><p>Akefia: ... Those who review shall recieve shampoo... AND THE PHARAOH'S CURSE!<p>

Cali: No they won't. We _need _the reviews, remember?

Akila: Do we really?

Cali: Yes. Now, if you review you get shampoo, baby panda plushies, bits of Mariks' shirt, cookies, and a chainsaw. Please and thank you. *smile*

Die: YAMISHIPPING! *smiles*

Marik: HELL YES!

Cali and Akila: ...

Akila: I saw enough of this kind of shit in my childhood. Don't need it now. I'm gone. *walks off*

Cali: Don't leave me aloneeeeeee! Akila! Wait! *sigh*

Die: ... I wonder if they'll let me join in...

Cali: *facepalm* I'm following Akila now. Bye...

Die: YAY FOR MASS ORGIES! *smiles*

Ryou and Yugi: YAY!

Ryou: *whispers* What are we cheering for, Yugi?

Yugi: *whispers back* I don't know, just do it.


	5. Chapter 3

Cali: Three times in one day? Wow... I need to come over here more often.

Akila: Hell _yeah _you do. I need to get out of that damn back room sooner or later.

Livi: ...Duke... *smile*

Die: ... I miss my darkshipping... which if you read the M-rated ones, PRETTY PET PHARAOH BY PUZZLE NEKO FOR THE WIN!

Bakura: HELL YEAH!

Cali: I _knew _she was going to go there...

Akila: Yeah... anyone seen Dad? Liv?

Livi: *daydreaming*

Die: ... Kura and I tied him up. Melvin, Kura, and I all decided we wanted to do "horrible things" to him... *evil smile*

Akila: *sigh* Seriously, didn't I get enough of this shit in my childhood?

Cali: Not for Die...

Die: *is missing*

Cali: Mkay, well then... enjoy!

Akila: Enjoy? Ha. You joke. There is no enjoyment in the back room.

Cali: I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to them. *points to readers*

Akila: Oh. Well then... yeah, enjoy... *sheepish smile*

Ryou: *pops up* No one owns anything!

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<p>

Yugi shivered in the night air, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Ryou. "Are you sure this will work?" he hissed to the boy climbing over the gate.

Ryou nodded. "As sure as I am that Bakura's gay." Without warning, he lost his balance and fell off the metal gate, landing on their side luckily enough. "Ow, my sensitive ass," he groaned, rubbing his back.

Livi rolled her eyes and jumped, sticking her landing with a small smile. "C'mon." Ryou picked himself up, grumbling something about impatient girls and no respect for dead animals and his Britishness, though his voice was never strong or loud enough that they could be certain they were hearing what he was saying. Again, Livi rolled her eyes. "Keep it down. We're sneaking in, remember?" She grabbed Yugi's arm. "Let's go."

Yugi tugged on her sleeve, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Well, at least he didn't say 'ow, my _sensitive_ schoolboy bottom'."

She covere her moth to hold back a snort. "Has he said that before?"

"Sadly, yes, right after Tristan scared him off the roof of the Game Shop on Halloween last year. He then flushed bright pink and actually ended up smacking Joey for asking if he wanted him to kiss it better."

Ryou growled, an expression on his face that he had likely picked up from Bakura. "Now, if you two are done gossipping about me, I do believe you have a target to show me?"

Livi hid another laugh behind her hand. "Right, sorry Fluffball."

Ryou stopped dead, eyes wide. "What did you just call me?" he ground out, the emotions in his tone flaring so wildly it was impossible to read.

She blinked, faltering as she took a hasty step back. "S-s-sorry, R-Ryou."

"Only Bakura's allowed to call me that, only Bakura!" he yelled, fury in his chocolate eyes before he blinked, calming down just as suddenly as he'd angered. "So, where's the house at in the mess of land?"

"Well, if you didn't alert them with you justified spout of anger, then we should be able to get in over there." She pointed towards a mostly hidden corner jutting out of the forest on the west side of the mansion.

"You know what, I was right, you really are a whorebiscuit."

Ryou brightened, perking up at the voice. "Marik! You came!"

Yugi frowned. "I thought you said you weren't going to get arrested with us, Marik."

The Egyptian shrugged. "I know you need someone free to bail your asses out of jail, but I figured I'd rather take a risk than sit around twidling my thumbs and listening to that cop radio Kura and Melvin stole."

Lili curled her fingers tightly around Yugi's arm to keep from clawing Marik's arm off. "Hello, Marik." She grit out.

Marik was quiet for a moment. "Hey Ryou, why're we bringing the whorebiscuit along anyway?"

She squeezed Yugi's arm even tighter, nails beginning to dig into his flesh. Her lips were turned down in a ferocious scowl.

Ryou sighed. "Marik, what did we say about calling Livi 'whorebiscuit'?" he sighed.

"Um," Marik said, "do it all the time?"

"Try again."

"Um, only do it when she's acting like a whorebiscuit, which is every second of the day?"

"I asked you not to do it at all, Marik! It's not nice!"

"Your ass is nice!"

Livi rolled her eyes. "What does _he_ have to do with nice?" She paused. "And I'm going to ignore that last bit. Now are we doing this or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming," Ryou grumbled, and Marik gave him a shocked look.

"You're _coming_ over doing _her_?" he gasped, hand over his mouth for dramatic effect. "Now who's the horny kitty who won't come out of the closet?"

"Shut up, Marik," he shot back. "And I'm not a kitty, dammit!"

Livi threw a look at Yugi. "You sure pick some weird company."

Yugi shrugged. "They sorta chose themselves, to be honest. And by that logic, it's technically Yami who picked these two, not me."

Livi made a small noise of understanding. "Yamis tend to do that, I suppose." She glanced at the the branches overhead. "Good cover tonight."

"Kitty!" Marik cried randomly, darting forward between the two.

"NOT A KITTY!" Ryou howled.

Marik threw him a glance. "Not you. That!" He pointed towards a tree a ways in front of them, upon which a tan cat with a white scar under its left eye perched watching them. "Come here, kitty kitty," he cooed. The animal merely scratched his hand and darted off.

"Could you keep it _down_?" Livi hissed. "We're not supposed to be here, you twit." She eyed the cat. "And I really wouldn't trust that thing."

"No, wait, come back kitty!" he cried, running after it.

She eyed Yugi. "Did I _not_ just say keep it down?"

Yugi gave her a weak smile. "Um... Marik isn't a force to be reckoned with? No, wait, that's not right..." he amended, frowning as Ryou couldn't contain a chuckle.

Livi rolled her eyes. "He's going to get us caught, _dammit_! And I don't know about you two, but I don't want to go to jail because he freaked out over a freaking _cat_. "

"It could be worse," Ryou admitted. "He could've decided to bring his yaoi pornographic comic books... or started frolicing."

"Whatever. We can go on without him." She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "We'll look for him later."

"... I vote not looking for him at all," Ryou replied.

She smiled. "I knew I liked you for some reason."

Yugi sighed. "No, we have to look for him, otherwise who knows what kind of perverted fanfiction he'll start reading."

Livi rolled her eyes. "Do we really?"

"Yes. Do you really want to have to bail him out of jail for public indecency?"

Livi thought for a moment, then replied with her honest conclusion. "Honestly? Who says we have to bail him out?"

Yugi leaned in to whisper this to her, not wanting Ryou to overhear. "We'd have to, otherwise Ryou'd have no one who needed him, and he'd try cutting himself again."

"Besides," Ryou added, "I'd just do it anyway."

"Ugh. He's not worth the effort." She rolled her eyes. "And I don't want to spend all night out here hunting for him. If my dad finds out I'm not in bed, we're all screwed."

"If _you_ don't find Marik, then _I'll_ be the one to tell him you were doing Yugi."

She sighed. "If I get grouned until I'm thirty, it'll be all _your_ fault. And I can hold a grudge for way longer than you'd think."

"... Not near as long as I can," Ryou assured her, smiling darkly enough that Yugi paled before remembering that Bakura was NOT in control and couldn't possibly be. "Kura taught me enough about torture to assure that."

"I'm not too worried, even if I should be. But let's go find the dumb bastard and get on to what we were _supposed_ to be doing." She rolled her shoulders, giving Ryou an expectant look. "Well what are you waiting for? Move your ass."

"Hey Ryou, look, I found a kitty!" Marik announced, skipping back towards them and presenting the light platinum blond cat with a gold collar to them. "His name is Mr. Fluffy, and he's my new pet!" The cat in question looked like it was torn between cuddling up to him and tearing his face off, settling for holding still in the rather-uncomfortable hold the Egyptian had. "Isn't he cute?"

Livi's eyebrows rose high again. "Okay, so we've found Cat-boy here, can we do what we came for, now?" She shot a look at Marik. "Do _not_ misenterpret that."

The cat hissed at her, tensing. "Don't worry, Mr. Fluffy, she's just jealous," he soothed, planting a kiss on one upright ear, which made the feline turn into a puddle of goo in his arms, its brain having obviously short-circuited.

Ryou sighed. "Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on."

"Please," Marik added cheekily, trailing after the white-haired Brit as they strode up to the front door. Before he could pick the lock, however, the tanned boy said, "Hey, look, a light!" and pressed the doorbell button.

Livi groaned, throwing her head back. "Really? _Really_? Mother of Ra, we're screwed." The feline glared at her for a long moment before rolling its dark lavender eyes and biting Marik's hand. The Egyptian yelped, dropping the cat, who then proceeded to chase them into the shadows just in time for the door to open so he could trot in, the wood sliding shut behind him. Her head tilted to the side, Livi's face was comical. Confusion and relief warred for their place upon it, ending in a face that resembled constipation. She scratched her head slowly and threw a glance at Yugi. "Uh..."

"Were we just saved by a cat?" he asked, just as confused as she was.

Marik nodded. "Yep! That's my kitty for you, whorebiscuit!"

Ryou, however, was looking even paler than normal and trembling so fiercely he looked as if he was shaking like a leaf.

Livi turned to him, setting a hand on his shoulder in concern. "Ryou?"

"Kura," he whispered, "Kura."

"Uh...Ryou?" She asked slowly.

"I thought I saw Kura at the door."

Livi's eyebrows rose. Her gaze flew to Marik & Yugi. Marik shrugged. "That's great, Ryou," he answered dully, his voice inflictionless.

Yugi, however, wasn't so convinced. "Are you sure you weren't just projecting your hopes there, Ryou?"

"I'm sure!" the boy snarled, fists clenching. "I'd know Kura anywhere!"

Livi jumped in the middle, voice soothing. "I'm sure you would, Ryou." She rubbed his back between his shoulderblades.

He smacked her hand away. "Don't touch me!" he yelled, scrambling towards the doorway. "Kura! Kura!" She pulled her hand away, trying to keep the hurt from her face. She looked out at the forest for a moment, struggling with what to do.

Marik tried to catch the other boy, but he was faster and slipped through tanned hands like rain. "Come on, whorebiscuit, if we don't catch him, he'll get us all thrown out!"

She took off after him, thanking Ra for track practice as she sped up. Yugi soon fell behind, Marik barely managing to keep pace with her and only because of his longer legs. She stared desperately at the boy ahead of her, pausing to get better ground before shooting off like a bullet out of a gun. It was Marik, however, who managed to catch him, snatching him up with his finger inches from the glowing button. "No!" he shrieked, struggling. "I need him, I need him!"

Livi flinched away from the desperation in his voice, suddenly struck with memories of her yami and fighting those emotions back while trying to help Marik."Hey!" a cold voice snapped, "Get your hands off my hikari before I rip them off for you!"

Ryou instantly stopped struggling, instead managing to slip free and throw himself at the figure standing in the doorway. "Bakura!" He nuzzled his mirror's collarbone, greedily inhaling the scent.

The yami let out a low chuckle, his arms gently coming around to pull the smaller close. "I forgot how exuberant you were, yadonoshi," he murmured to himself.

Livi's eyes widened at the sight, hope catching in her throat and holding it down until she thought her lungs would burst. "Bakura..."

His lip curled, revealing his pronounced canines. "Who the hell are you?" he snarled, pulling Ryou closer protectively.

Marik, in the meantime, completely flipped out. "Where's Melvin? Where?" he yelled, his eyes wide. "Tell me or I'll rip your spine out and shove it back in place through your ass!"

"Relax, Marik," a soft voice called from further inside. "That won't be nescessary."

" 'City, you shouldn't be up," Bakura scolded absently, his attention focused more on the hikari in his arms than the one at the top of the staircase. "Fell said you had a lot taken out of you.

She waved away his protests. "I'm fine. Now, would you three like to come in? I'm sure I can chase up Yami for you while I fetch something to drink."

"Is... Is Akila there?" Livi choked out, hope glimmering in her eyes.

The girl frowned, her slight hand putting the majority of her weight on the handrail as she descended the staircase. "I'm sorry, but I don't know all the yamis' names. She's not out here in the front of the mansion, but it's possible she might've appeared in the back with some of the more... nightmarish things that leak out from the Shadow Realm." Her smile seemed false now, sad. "It is a priest's duty to exorcise the evil in the world, and as Anubis is my patron god, I get a lot more work that shows up on my doorstep. Unfortunately, it's not all good spirits that come, so A... friend set it up so that the more dangerous creatures come into the back of the place rather than the front."

Livi sighed, running a hand through her hair and eyeing the happy couple. A frown crossed her face. "Thief King..." She murmured.

Bakura made a face. "Hardly. Yami's damn Mnd Crush separated the two aspects of my personality. The part that made the up the Thief King was composed of anger and hatred, so that ended up in the Shadow Realm or dead, or whatever the damn hell happens to whatever he Mind Crushes."

Marik was pouting now. "Where's my yami?" he growled, stamping his foot childishly.

Felicity bent down and picked up the cat from earlier, the one the Egyptian had been originally chasing twining around her ankles. "Here."

Livi laughed. "That damn cat."

Marik looked scandalized. "Melvin is not a fucking cat!"

Felicity gave him a tired smile. "Normally, you'd be right, but he's in trouble for sending our microwave to the Shadow Realm, so for the next hour or so, he's a cat."

Livi smiled. "Felicity, you might just be my new favorite."

Bakura snorted. "Sure, you think that, then she turns you into some kind of pathetic animal and you want to kill her."

Seeing that Marik was in no hurry to retrieve kitty-Melvin, she turned her topaz eyes on the tan cat by her feet. "Kefi, would you mind getting Yami out of the kitchen? Retrieving the microwave can wait until Fell gets back." The feline shot off like a rocket, obviously wanting to be closer to his mistress as she strode after him at a much slower pace, dumping the platinum cat on the couch in a room alongside the entryway. "Please, make yourselves at home. Oh, and if the doorbell rings again, you're welcome to answer it. I'm expecting a few people here, so if you wouldn't mind fetching the door for me, I'd be most grateful."

She sighed. "So I'm the lonely single... great." She glanced around. "When Yugi finds Yami, I'll be screwed..."

The tan cat came back after a moment, grumbling about something while glaring at his crooked kink in his tail and looking up at her as if to say _You don't know the half of it._ Yugi kept fidgeting on the couch, so to shut him up, the feline leaped up onto his lap, though he bristled when the smaller boy moved his hand towards that soft fur.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," Bakura advised. "For some reason, Kefi only lets 'City pet him. Not even Fell's allowed to touch him without him starting it, and that boy's her yami."

The cat looked up at them all with a _You got that right_ expression on his face.

The lone girl eyed the cat curiously. Her head rose again suddenly as she registered the yami's words, though. "Fell? Is he around?"

"Right now? No. Eventually? Yes."

Suddenly, the ringing of the doorbell went through the air, and Kefi looked at them as if to say _Well? Aren't you going to get that?_

Seeing that the 'adorable' (though they certainly were, to a degree) couple wasn't planning on moving, and Yugi was glued to the couch, Livi sighed and walked over to the door. She opened it slowly, curious about what she'd find behind it.

Duke blinked his emerald eyes at the surprise. "Livi? I didn't think you lived here."

Blush flew across Livi's face. "I... I don't. I came with Yugi and..." She searched her brain hurriedly. "And Ryou. Why are you here?"

"I asked him here," Felicity quietly replied, blinking as she poked her head back in the room, a sheepish smile on her face as she explained, "I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink."

Livi blinked, trying to fight her blush down before anyone who would make fun of her would notice. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"You sure? Yami's making some tea and-" she paused, gasping mid-sentence as her hand flew to her face and her other one scrabbled against the wall. The cat that had been twining around her ankles let out a loud yowl, rearing up to put his face closer to hers, but his call brought a blur of black hair and pale skin as none other than Fell scooped her up and marched her through the mansion.

"Seth!" he yelled, "get the door ready!" He ran through the labyrinth, not caring if they followed or not, and stopped only when he reached the door where Seth waited. At his nod, the brunet wrenched the thing open just wide enough for Fell to throw his hikari into the maw filled with the sound of screaming beasts and then slamming it behind him.

Livi, who had followed, looked at him with wide eyes. "I knew you were cruel but...damn."

"I'm sorry, Miss Livi," he replied to her, eyes burning, "but you know _nothing_ about cruelty. If I did not do this to her... we would all be dead where we stand."

Seth elbowed him. "Come on, Fell. Let's not explain here. We'll only have to explain everything again if you start now."

He sighed. "Very well, I'll meet you all in the lounge." He turned to Kefi. "Coming?" The cat shot a glare at him, sitting firmly down with a twitch of its tail. "Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>Ishizu: Why am I here?<p>

Die: *comes out of nowhere and stabs Ishizu in the eyesocket with Millennium Rod* That felt good. Thanks Melvin!

Melvin: *evil smile* I have never been prouder of an apprentice...

Die: Oh, and Kura, that means I get to top Yami tonight.

Bakura: Dammit.

Livi: Um... well that was violent.

Akila: *eyebrow raise* Expect anything else?

Cali: You shouldn't.

Livi: And Die's... descriptive.

Cali: She's used to M-Rated fics with lots of lemon. Are you surprised?

Livi: ...not really.

Cali: Then what's the problem?

Akila: Let's not go into problems. It'd take a whole chapter just to list everyone's.

*Die, Bakura, Marik, Melvin, Ryou, and Yami are all missing*

Livi: Where'd they-

Akila and Cali: You _don't _wanna know. Trust us.

*Yugi pops up*

Livi: Oh... hi, Yug. *smiles*

Yugi: *innocent smile* Where's Yami?

Akila: (the blunt one) Having an orgy with all the psychos and Ryou.

Yugi: O.O

Livi: Way to _go_, Ki. Scar him for life why don't you? *hugs Yugi*

Yugi: I will never be clean...

Akila: Well if you're with my dad, then probably not...

Livi: *glare*

Akila: What? I'm just being honest.

Cali: Do do la la la... teehee. I love this video... *turns to youtube*

Yugi: Since no one else seems to find it necessary to put me out of my misery, reviews will be greeted with trading cards, now good day to you sir/madam! *slams door shut*

Akila: *opens door* Trading cards along with bits of Marik's shirt, cookies, chainsaws, shampoo, and panda plushies. Thanks for stopping by, but now I'm gonna go apologize to our resident baby panda...


	6. Chapter 4

Die: ... CHAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZ PRINCETOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNN!

Cali: Erm... wrong story, Darling.

Akila: Do I get out of the back yet?

Cali: Not the problem at hand, Ki.

Akila: Meh. Isn't that Chazz guy from the next generation?

Cali: Yep. He's an asshole.

Die: *drools* A sexy asshole...

Ryou: I thought you were into that Aster guy...

Die: Aster Phoenix... *drools as she stares at pictures of him*

Cali: ...Mkay, so neither Die nor I own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Akila: Thank RA. It'd be a giant orgy if Die did and if you did, you'd let her have a giant orgy.

Cali: NUH UH!

Livi: What? I thought I heard orgy which means I probably don't want to know but...

Akila: You don't.

Cali: Right. So anyway, onto the story!

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

Lying there, in the darkness with the living shadows pressing in on her from all sides, she pushed herself weakly to her knees, trying hard not to throw up from the pain. Her eyes flashed from topaz to ruby and back again as she fought, but she could not hold out for long. Even if she did not wish to kill once again, she was not strong enough to defeat her demon on her own. Her tattoo burning on the skin of her back, she let out a howl as her form shifted into one far more suited to the darkness.

* * *

><p>A howl errupted through the mansion, jarring Akila out of her thoughts. Her head snapped up, sapphire eyes wide in horror. "What the hell was <em>that<em>?" The creatures around her seemed perfectly content to ignore it, all going about their own business without worry. She couldn't just sit around, instead wandering through the darkness towards the door. Her fists and feet pounded on it. "GUYS! LET ME OUT! PLEASE! _SETH_! _FELL_! _DAD_! Someone dammit!"

* * *

><p>The feline sitting before the wood didn't react to the sudden banging on the door, insteadly lazily licking a claw while he kept his eyes trained on the wood, all senses waiting for the return of his mistress. Kefi was a loyal cat, and he would protect and love his mistress until the day he died his final death.<p>

* * *

><p>Fell trembled as he stood in the shadows of the main room, looking at the hikaris who had come back. "You don't have to explain anything to them if you don't want, Fell," Seth murmured, resting a hand comfortably on the ex-Champion's shoulder. The pair didn't have the ones they loved, not like the others did, so they sought comfort in each other the same way they often had in the past.<p>

"I have to, Seth," he insisted softly. "I owe them that much at least."

The ex-priest sighed. "Why don't you go fetch Yami? It'll give you some time to think about what you want to say."

Livi watched the pair, a cautious smile edging onto her face as she reflected on the implant of memories her yami had given her, hunting for both of the men. She found Seth first and had to choke down her laughter and embarassment behind a cough, instead turning to Duke. "So um... Despite the fact that this isn't my house, I seem to be the only one offering... Would you like to sit down?"

He gave her a winning smile. "Most certainly," he replied, chosing to perch himself on the couch that wasn't occupied by Bakura, Ryou, and Marik. Yugi was sitting on the arm of a loveseat, biting his lip with worry as he waited for his yami.

Seth gave the black-haired man a push. "Go on, I'm sure Yami would like the distraction. The microwave can wait." Fell nodded, not trusting his voice quite yet, pausing only to grab the blond cat by the scruff of his neck just in time for him to change back to normal, his action saving Marik from being squashed to death by his own yami. "Would you like something from the kitchens?"

Livi shrugged, "I'm fine. A little overwhelmed..." She frowned to herself, plopping onto the same couch as Duke and pulling her knees up to her chest. "But...that's okay. I just...nevermind." She sighed, watching Yugi in hopes to see him happy.

Duke shrugged. "I'll have some water, and I'm sure Ryou wouldn't mind some tea."

"Cookies!" Marik added, lavender eyes gleaming dangerously. "Lots and lots of cookies!" Fell nodded, walking off with Seth trailing after him just in time for the doorbell to ring again.

The girl watched the happy boys around her (with the exception of Yugi), with a mild smile on her face. Then she turned to Duke. "So you're CEO of Dungeon Dice Monsters, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's not doing so well since Maximillion Pegasus went down, though Felicity's started meeting with me to try to get talks about marketing it back up. That's actually why I came here tonight." When the doorbell rang again, his brow furrowed. "Somehow, I doubt Seth went to go answer that..."

* * *

><p>Yami was frowning, his eyes closed as he focused hard on the space in front of him, his mind gently probing into the shadow realm, and he couldn't contain a slight start when a warmth burrowed into his arms seeking comfort and trembling hard. He didn't need to ask who it was, knowing that Fell was always really shaken up whenever Felicity's curse activated. "Hey, it'll be fine," he soothed quietly, abandoning his task to stroke at soft black locks. "City always is."<p>

"It's not you who failed your hikari, Yami," he replied dully, emerald eyes blank. "It's not you whose connection has dwindled to a thread."

Seth rolled his eyes, having already gathered the drinks and a box of cookies on a tray for Fell to take out when he was ready. "Hey Yami, Yugi's waiting for you in the front room."

"Yugi!" Fell glared at the ex-priest for being cruel enough to send his comfort scurrying off but sighed and collected the tray nonetheless.

* * *

><p>"Really? I can't believe DDM is in trouble. It was insanely popular back home..." Livi quirked a smile.<p>

He looked at her in shock. "Where are _you_ from? The Black Clown is the only place that sells the damn things..." This time, the doorbell rang far longer than it should've, likely someone holding down the button. "All right, all right, I'll go get the damn door!" he grumbled, stalking out to the hallway.

She held down a laugh, curious as to who was at the door. But mostly, she wished someone _else_ had gone to the door so they could continue their conversation.

A blur of black burst through the doors, bouncing all over the place. "Mokuba!" a cold voice called, its owner Seto Kaiba striding along in front of Duke, who was followed by none other than Joey Wheeler. "Calm down!"

Joey looked rather sheepish. "Guess I shouldn't have brought the Pixy Stix in my bag then," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

The youngest boy stopped, his gray eyes wide. "Hey, where's Fel? She _promised_ she'd show me how to beat Twilight Princess!"

Livi blinked. "So this is Mokuba..." She murmured, then offered an uncertain smile. "She's uh... well, I don't know exctly where she is..." She paused, looking at Fell and Seth.

Fell spooked slightly at the attention, grabbing hold of Seth's arm and nearly dropping the tray he held. He would've too if Yami hadn't appeared out of nowhere to take it from him. His emerald eyes took in every inch of Duke, a whispered "Impossible" falling from his lips as he clung to Seth in order to stay upright.

At the arrival of Yami and the spazz of Fell, Livi turned, eyes snapping wide. "Pharaoh..."

Yami nodded at her, smiling politely as he scooped Yugi up into a hug. "I'm sorry," he told her, "but I don't know your name."

"Livi." She eyed him curiously. "Where's your daughter? Do you know?"

He shook his head. "No, but then again, only Felicity has any idea where everyone is and Fell the exact location."

Seto glared at the black-haired boy disdainfully, sitting himself down on an armchair. "What the hell's wrong with you, Fell?"

"My soul," he murmured softly, pressing the curve of his cheek against Seth's shoulder, "it feels like it's been ripped in two." The only girl still in the room watched him cautiously, sympathy building in her, wishing she could do something. Finally, he shook his head. "No matter. I promised you an explanation and I'll give it to you. Mokuba, if you wouldn't mind, I do believe Felicity got that Okami Wii game yesturday and has yet to beat it."

The boy's eyes widened excitedly and he raced into another room. Livi peered after him with a smile on her face before turning to Fell.

"I guess I should start at the beginning then," Fell sighed, collapsing onto the loveseat beside Seth as his emerald eyes shrank back into a place that was far away. He took a moment to organize his thoughts before he began.

"Because I was the one who ultimately hosted Zorc during the massacre that sealed away or killed all the yamis, it was to be my punishment to bear the form of a 'weak' female. But the thing is, Felicity is not weak. Anubis does not take on those who cannot handle the stress of serving the Ferryman of the Dead, and she did. She never knew her mother and her father died when he was six. She kept her uncle Maximillion Pegasus from committing suicide, and then when his Millennium Eye began to leak insanity and shadow magic into this world, she tapped into my powers to bring as much of that insanity and magic into her own body as she could. She handled the stress of seeing restless spirits, most of whom died horrific deaths and do not change their abysmal natures even after their lives have ended, alone. She did so much on her own."

The room was collectively horrified, though some expressed it better than others. Livi looked at Yugi burrowing his face into Yami's chest and Ryou clinging to Bakura, wishing intensely that she had someone to hold her. Her gaze locked on the pain in Fell's eyes and she found herself wishing, instead, that she could help him.

"It was she who haunted the halls of Pegasus's castle. She didn't know of me, but she still knew your items were important when you were all there. She wasn't aware her touch brought yamis back to the forefront of the mind, so her tentative touches pulled Bakura back from the Card Graveyard, even if she just wanted to figure out what it felt like to touch another. I wasn't surprised that she chose Ryou to be the one she stroked, especially considering my history with Akefia. What surprised me, though, was that surely Bakura, who was a stalwart part of Akefia's soul, the part that was the original Akefia Bakura, must have sensed my presence inside of Felicity, and yet he still ripped the Millennium Eye from Pegasus. She was the one who found his body, bleeding out on the floor of his tower keep, and the shock of it caused her to shut down. She retreated into her soul room, leaving me to take control of her body if I did not want her to fall comatose and die."

The horror was now reflected upon everyone's faces, or at least those that were visible. A slow stream of tears crept down Livi's face because the images her mind conjured were horrifying. Yugi and Ryou were both completely tucked into their yamis' chests, small shudders shaking them.

"And thus I learned much about my host. She bore the tattoo of Anubis on her back, put there in a failed attempt to try to bring back Cecelia Pegasus in hopes of cheering her uncle up. She used the Toon Deck her uncle was known to play with far better than he did, though that could have been entirely because she was born to this life and he was not. The spirits that haunted her were those of truly the worst sort, one that not even my presence could fully keep at bay. Still, I could not help but indulge in the selfish need to serve my Pharaoh the way I had failed to in my past life, so I entered the Battle City Tournament under the pseudonym Lucifer Storm."

Realization dawned in everyone's eyes, their stares more curious now than before. Seto nodded. "I remember you. Your signal kept popping up in the strangest places, and whenever I would try to figure out where you came from, you'd crash my system. I'd assume that was Felicity's doing?"

He nodded in return, continuing with his story. "Because of my interference, I kept the vengeful spirit of Melvin distracted. If his full attention had been on my Pharaoh, there's no doubt in my mind that things might have proceeded differently. Still, for the longest time, I feared that Felicity wouldn't wake up, but when she did, I wished she hadn't. The girl was vicious, showing no remorse as she dueled. When Battle City ended, she sunk back into depression, awakening only to duel, and it was that curse that led her to possessing a shard of Zorc inside her. Sure, my Pharaoh may have sealed the demon king away, but enough of his influence remained that she entered episodes. Her soul was separated, much like Marik's was, only because she already had a yami, her brain took over and made it so that she merely awakened her true darkness every now and again."

"Oh..." Livi couldn't help the startled exclamation that fell from her lips, hand flying up to her mouth, eyes clenched tight against the images her brain provided.

"The darkness… It tears her up inside. She becomes a beast, wandering around with an insatiable lust for blood. It is at her request that I seal her back in the darkest part of the house, where no one can see the blood staining her paws. The worst part is, I can't even help her. I haven't been able to properly talk to her anymore, not since Osiris called me back to him. The only person who managed to get through to her leaves her time and again. It may not be his fault, but it's not her fate to suffer. She should not have to bear the Curse of Anubis."

"And what is it?" Ryou asked, unable to contain himself.

Fell looked at him with mournful eyes. "It is the burden of falling in love with someone beyond the veil."

Again, the room filled with horror and the sounds of surprise leading to hitched breaths, the more emotional of the group struggling to keep down their sadness. In the crowd of couples, the singles had never felt so alone.

"Did- Did you ever?" Yami asked, and Fell shook his head.

"No. It's the curse of a priest of Anubis. My punishment for serving the god was that the desert would always try harder to kill me with scorpions and the like and that everyone I killed would generally hang around until I managed to get rid of the more blood-thirsty ones, which were the majority." Unable to keep down her tears anymore from the weight of the story and the images lashing out at her, Livi turned and buried her face in Duke's chest unthinkingly, crying so hard she couldn't think straight. Duke patted her back sympathetically, running his fingers through her hair. Fell bit his lip. "Please, don't cry for me, Miss Livi. I don't deserve anyone's pity, least of all yours. If you must cry for someone, please do it for my innocent hikari. She's the one who's truely suffering needlessly."

Livi shook her head, pushing herself closer to Duke as she struggled to contain her tears. "Everyone deserves sympathy and pity." She said between hiccuping sobs.

"Would you be crying for me if I told you that I knew where your yami was?" he asked, turning away from them all and presenting his cheek as if he expected to be hit. "Would you be crying for me if I told you that I was the one who put her there?"

Slowly, she puled herself away from Duke, obviously torn between rage and sadness as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "Akila? You... you know where she is?"

He nodded, still not looking any of them in the eye. "In the back of the house with the other nightmares."

Her head tilted slightly, rage winning out. "_Other_ nightmares? Are you implying she is one?"

A shake of the head. "I was referring to myself, actually. I never wanted to put her back there, but I... I didn't want her to hurt my hikari if she wanted revenge for Zorc killing her while he was in control of my body."

A trace of sympathy edged onto her face, still greatly overpowered by anger. "You know her, Fell. You know she wouldn't take it out on your hikari. She'd go for you." Her words were cool but sharp.

"Exactly my point," he finished. "The bond between yami and hikari may be weaker between the two of us, but her mentality is so fragile right now that if anything happened to me, she'd likely snap."

The girl stood her ground. "Let me see her. I'll calm her down enough that you can explain yourself. She's not unreasonable. She has a heart." The girl trailed off, eyes filling again. "And besides, I need to see her again."

A fine trembling took over him. "I can't," he said, eyes closing. "We don't separate that part of the mansion since the only one who ever goes back there is Felicity when she's in her madness and Kefi when it's time to pull her out. I... even if Kefi was willing to fetch her, we can't get her out. I won't... I can't put the world at risk simply to get back Akila."

Tears flew down her face as she dropped to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, whimpering and curling in on herself.

"I'm sorry, I really am," he murmured, stretching out a hand to touch her and then jerking it back. "I... I just..." he sighed, drooping. Seth tried to reassure him with a hug, but he merely dodged the priest and strode wearily over to the staircase. "I'm sorry that Felicity is not available to talk with you, Duke Devlin and Seto Kaiba. You are welcome to stay the night here, all of you. Yami and Seth know where the guest rooms are."

Livi lifted her head to stare after the yami forlornly, trying and failing to lift herself from the floor. She fell against the floor, side smacking the ground hard enough to bruise. She continued to weep. Duke pulled her into his arms, content to let her cry on his shirt. "Don't do that," he scolded gently. "You'll only hurt yourself." Ryou and Yugi peeked out from the arms of their yamis, but Bakura obviously decided that the dice player had things well in hand and began pulling his hikari off in the direction the raven-haired ex-spirit had gone.

Livi looked up at Duke, tears still falling. "I don't care."

"Please. For me." He reached out and gently smoothed away the moisture with the pad of his thumb, the two psycho Egyptians now deciding it was an appropriate time to follow the example of their pale counterpart.

She looked away, burying her face in his chest and twisting his shirt in her fingers. Another sob slipped out. "Why?"

"Because you're cute and sweet and I don't want to see you hurt." This time, it was Seto and Joey who snuck off, though the two were trading insults under their breath all the way.

Suddenly, she pushed away from him. Desperation was clear in her eyes. She bolted towards the door. Duke sighed, getting to his feet. Yami looked at him with sympathetic eyes as he sent the mess of crumbs from the cookies and the leftover drinks to the shadow realm. "Would you like me to show you to your room or would you rather wait up for her?"

"I'll wait," Duke answered the King of Games tiredly, leaning back on the couch. "It's not the first time I've been rejected."

* * *

><p>Less than an hour later, she came back, no longer crying but with sadness dictating her expression. "I'm <em>so<em> sorry. That was awful of me." Tears beaded in her eyes again, but these were of guilt.

He gave her a tired smile. "It's all right. You were just hurt and scared." He got to his feet, yawning. "Yami said there was two rooms prepared for us, but if you want, I wouldn't mind if you slept with me tonight, just till you get your head together."

Her eyes snapped wide open, body frozen in shock. "A...are you sure?"

His smiled widened. "Positive. I'm willing to be your teddy bear if it means you'll stop feeling so down." He looked up, thumping his hand to his chest for dramatic effect. "It'll be a sacrafice, but one I'm willing to make."

She took a few steps closer, hesitantly reaching out and puting her arms around him. She let a tiny smile quirk up her lips as she looked up at him. "Thank you."

He wasn't so hesitant to wrap his arms around her in return. "Anytime."

* * *

><p>"Where do you think you're going?"<p>

Fell froze as he stood with his hand on the doorknob, his old sword in his grip and Kefi at his feet. "Nowhere," he stated nervously.

Seth rolled his eyes, already knowing what the ex-champion was up to. "Just bring you both back in one piece, all right?" he sighed, taking his place by the door. Fell nodded firmly, glad the ex-priest understood as he strode into the darkness, his blade gleaming even as the sennen eye on his forehead lit up with his magic. He had a yami to find.

* * *

><p>Akila: I'M FINALLY GETTING OUT?<p>

Cali: _Maaaaaybe_.

Akila: But he's going in after me...

Cali: Who's to say he makes it out alive?

Akila: O.O

Livi: *drool* Duke...

Cali: Yes, yes. We all know you're head-over-heels for our sexy manwhore...

Duke: ...

Die: I have a harem of manwhores!

Akila: I say we cut this short and don't enable her.

Livi: *drool* Duke...

Cali: I agree. Reviews will be greeted with... dammit what did we offer before?

Akila: Bits of Marik's shirt, trading cards, baby panda plushies, cookies, shampoo, chainsaws, and... what should we offer this time?

Die: Manwhores! No... wait, I don't want to lose my harem. Never mind...

Cali: ...ummm...

Livi: *drool* Duke...

Akila: You want to give them Duke?

Livi: What? NO!

Akila: ...how about Puppy Duke Plushies?

Livi: ...Sure.

Akila: So, we're offering bits of Marik's shirt, trading cards, baby panda plushies, cookies, chainsaws, shampoo and Puppy Duke Plushies... So please review! Bye now!


	7. Cut 2: Locked Away

Cali: YAY! TIME FOR MY CUT! *grin*

Akila: YESSSSSSS FINALLY GETTING OUT!

Livi: We don't know that yet...

Akila: Way to crush my dreams...

Cali: Well why don't we just _read and see_?

Livi: Fine. Cali wrote this one but she doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything else remotely successful for that matter.

Cali: Bitch!

Livi: Well it's true...

Cali: Whorebiscuit...

* * *

><p>Akila sighed quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and eyeing the slumbering creatures around her. As far as she could tell-and she'd become an expert at analyzing their sleeping patterns-they were all asleep. Herds of small tears formed in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over at the thought of her hikari.<p>

Her thoughts turned there, nonetheless, and she wiped at her face hastily as memories plagued her.

* * *

><p><em>A small girl clutched the ring, staring at it with a grand smile on her face. Her gaze turned back up to her grandmother. "Is this really for me?"<em>

_The old woman smiled, "Of course, Darling. But you have to promise me something."_

_The younger of the two gazed reverently at the ring, "Anything."_

_"Take good care of it. It's very special to our family." The woman hid a smile. _

_The girl's head snapped up, eyes defensive as if offended. "Why wouldn't I?" Akila knew in that instant, watching Marina converse with the girl, that she would like Livi. She had spunk._

* * *

><p><em>Akila watched her hikari's first date from her soul room, she watched Livi's first boyfriend dump her and comforted her as she cried. Akila revealed herself to Livi's step-brother and protected the girl from her father. She warned her against dating Christopher Young, and tried to console her when Chris refused to believe her about her father. She protected her hikari.<em>

_And then she was ripped away, thrown into another house with a glance at the man she'd refused to admit her feelings for the majority of her life, and then stuck in the darkness. Slowly, her sight improved and she saw the beasts around her. And when the sun rose, they pounced._

_She struggled against them and when they finally stopped, she lay on the ground, bleeding and hoping for death._

_And then she heard Livi's voice in her head- _Ki? I know you can't hear me right now, but… I feel better talking to you. It makes it easier to pretend that I'll see you again. And… y'know, I really… I miss you, Ki. Life without you is crazy hard. I'm used to you helping me out. _Everything was quiet for a moment. _Oh, and you left right before the rainy season. Lucky you. I'm stuck in the pouring rain with Danny and Jamie for company… but I guess it could be worse. A…anyway, I miss you. And I hope… I hope I get to see you one last time, but if I don't… I hope you get to be with that guy you told me about so many times. The one you wouldn't let yourself love? So… bye.

_Pain struck Akila through the heart at the mention of Fell and just the sound of her hikari's voice sent it racing. "Dammit." She whispered. "I have to do this…"_

_And so she pushed on. _

* * *

><p><em>The next memory came from a day and age that was centuries in the passing. Akila, barely fifteen at the time, watched Fell wrestling with some of the guards. A small smile edged its way onto her face and she found herself silently rooting for the Champion. Though it was a struggle, he won the match.<em>

_Her smile grew as he stood, casting a glance around the arena. When he saw Akila, he said something to the guards and walked over to her and resting his hands on the rail in front of her. He smiled. "Hello my lady."_

_She smiled back, setting her hand on the railing near his. "Hello Fell."_

"_Can I do something for you?" He asked, eyeing her inquisitively. "It's not like a princess to come to the arena during practice hours. And unguarded? Are you _trying _to get kidnapped, my lady?"_

_She giggled, "Of course not. But I was interested in what goes on during practicing hours. And as far as guards go, I'm standing in the arena within sight of half of the guard _and _my father's champion. I'm none too worried."_

"_Ah but the thief is growing more cunning, my lady. You shouldn't tempt fate." _

_She looked up in his eyes for a moment, taken aback by the seriousness in them. She glanced at the passage that led towards the exit. "I suppose you're right." She turned slowly, moving towards the tunnel. _

_And then Fell spoke again. "My lady?" _

_She smiled to herself then forced it down and turned. "Yes?"_

"_Be careful, my lady."_

"_Of course." And she left quicker that time, unaware that his eyes followed her until she was gone._

* * *

><p><em>About two months later, Akila stood in her father's chambers with her mother—the Pharaoh's first wife—awaiting his presence. The gold-filled room was also full of people of all sorts. Advisors, allied rulers from other lands, and guards, as well as Atem's other wives and few children, were scattered through the room.<em>

_Her mother was chatting quietly with one of the other wives when she felt a hand at her elbow. She spun around to face Tyren, the daughter of the Nigerian Pharaoh, and Akila's best friend. Both girls grinned and squealed, embracing._

"_Tyren, how are you?" Akila asked as she stepped back, admiring the other girl's clothes._

"_Excellent, and you?" The girl twirled a strand of golden hair that had fallen from her braid around her finger._

"_Excellent." Akila replied, biting her lip as she spied Fell out of the corner of her eye. _

_Tyren noticed her sudden change of attention, following the dark haired girl's gaze and turning back, eyes wide. "Who is _that_?"_

"_The Champion. Fell." She smiled hesitantly._

"_Dear Ra, he's certainly handsome." The blonde said quietly, eyes trained on the lean figure._

_Akila swatted at her friend's hand. "Stop looking! He'll notice after a while. He's not _blind._"_

"_Calm down and smile." Tyren replied, suddenly turning her dark brown gaze to Akila. "He was looking."_

_Akila's eyes snapped wide, cheeks flushing a pale shade of pink. "Dammit, Tyren. I told you."_

"_Calm down." Tyren amended quietly, "He's coming this way."_

_If it was possible, Akila's eyes got wider. And then by the luck of Ra and all the other gods, her father entered his chambers, drawing everyone's attention. _

* * *

><p>Akila sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "I miss him…" She whimpered, curling up tighter in her corner.<p>

An angry yowl resounded through the darkness. Akila shook her head and closed her eyes, dismissing it as the newest prey of the jackal-beast that _all_ the creatures hid from. But another yowl followed, this one distinctly human. Her eyes snapped wide open, fear radiating through them.

She leapt from her position and scrambled to find the sword under her make-shift pillow. She grasped the handle and took off in a run, only to stop a few yards from the sound due to traffic. At least three dozen of the creatures were crowded in a circle, making their ridiculous noises and thrashing angrily.

She raised her voice above the noise, speaking in a harsh tongue that had come to her naturally when she arrived in the darkness. The beasts slowly peeled away from one another, making room for her. She slid past them and into the circle. They didn't dare touch her.

Her jaw dropped, for in the circle was _Fell. _He had a few gashes along his face and arms, but was mostly unharmed.

The raven-haired man looked up, surprised that the brutes had backed away. Then he caught sight of the girl and his eyes widened. "Akila."

"Fell." She replied coolly, trying to calm the rage bubbling in her stomach. Her jaw clenched tight, grinding teeth on teeth.

"You're okay." He said in wonder, moving to his feet. He took a step towards her cautiously.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground. "You're here."

"Yes." Suddenly he paused, like he heard the force in her words. "Are you… okay, Akila?"

Her eyebrows rose. "I've been stuck in this hell hole for Ra knows how long, fighting to keep myself alive, learning what to do to keep the creatures away so they won't _kill me_, and you want to know if I'm okay?" She rolled her eyes. "No, Fell. I'm _not_ okay."

He stepped closer, face becoming gentle. "Come my lady, before they decide to attack again. Let's get you out of here."

She laughed, "They won't touch me. _You _on the other hand…" She shrugged. "I can't promise anything."

His eyes widened. "My lady…"

"Quit it would you?" She snapped, surging forward and raking her hand across his cheek. "I stopped being your 'lady' when you let Zorc kill me."

His shoulders slumped but he didn't protest. His voice was barely a whisper, "You're right."

_What the hell? No I'm not. _She brought her hand around again, forming a fist just before it connected with his jawbone. And she continued to attack him, determined to do so until he fought back. But she scratched and clawed and punched with no return from his side, both swords lying forgotten on the ground. "Dammit Fell," she growled. "_Fight back_."

He made no sound, infuriating her more. Her fingers dug into his skin, leaving bruises and crescent-shaped cuts as she forced him to look at her. "Look at me, Fell." He opened his eyes slowly, revealing the deep emerald. "_Fight. Back._"

By that point, she realized, she'd taken it way too far. He'd lost a considerable amount of blood from both her gashes and the ones inflicted by the beasts. He was nearly unconscious, but he'd never fought back. Never defended himself. Never… "Fell," she whispered as his eyes drifted closed. "Fell, listen to me."

He was far gone, though, unable to hear her. She cradled him to her, ripping off her sleeves for make-shift bandages. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was something. And then the beasts started again, stamping angrily and snorting out in rage.

A few of the tiger-beasts turned against something, fighting to pin it down. Akila called out in the dark language and they parted instantly, revealing the _last_ person she expected. Jono stepped out from the struggle, glancing down at his clawed up clothes. "Damn, Akila. What'd you say to them?"

An eyebrow arched in disbelief, she watched him approach her. "Jono?"

He laughed. "Hi Princess. Happy to see me?"

She stared at him for another moment before responding. "I guess… I haven't seen you in… centuries."

"Yeah, well." He shrugged. "I've been around."

"_Right._" She said slowly, throwing another glance at Fell, who was paling by the minute. "Think you could help me get him out?"

He nodded with a shrug. He scooped him from her arms and over his shoulder, glancing at the creatures, who were getting more and more angry. "Think you can get us to the door unharmed?"

She looked at them carefully, turning back to him with a rueful smile. "With two strangers who would make a great snack? Even I'm not that good."

"But the tigers li—"

"The tigers are the _least _of our worries, Jono. They're weak minded. I can hold them back easy, but the rest," she gestured to the bigger ones, growing angrier by the moment. "Well, let's just say they've got better resistance."

He sighed. "So we've got to fight our way out."

"Most definitely. But we might want to run." She looked straight up, watching the darkness grow _darker._ "If the jackal-beast catches us, we're not getting out of here alive. Period."

"So why isn't it here?"

"It's not dark enough yet. But it will be soon. So c'mon." Akila scooped up her own sword and threw Fell's to Jono. They took off as fast as they could.

* * *

><p>Cali: We still don't know if you got out...<p>

Akila: I EFFing hate you...

Livi: You heard that...?

Cali: Love you too, Akila. And yep,

Livi: Where'd Jono come from anyway?

Cali: I don't know...

Akila: So I'm in love with Fell?

Cali: Yep. You get a love interest, after all!

Akila: Well I guess that works...

Livi: Aaanyway... if you review we give chainsaws, bits of Marik's shirt, cookies, chainsaws, baby panda plushies, Puppy Duke Plushies, trading cards, shampoo, and... swords. Damn... we need to stop enabling our readers with our violence... Anyway, thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 5

Die: *yawn* I want my harem!

Cali: When _don't _you want your harem?

Die: When I feel like screwing with Aster. *smiles* He doesn't like to share...

Cali: ...

Akila: ...Mmmmkay then...

Livi: Neither of our crazy writers own Yu-Gi-Oh! (Thank Ra)

Cali: Hey! What's that supposed to mean?

Livi: ...nooothing.

Cali: Nothing or something?

Akila: It'd turn into a whore show.

Cali: Nuh uh!

Akila: If Die had it, yes.

Everyone: ...

Die: SEX! Okay, now that I have everyone's attention, please enjoy the story!

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><p>Chapter Five<p>

Seth sighed as he sat down at the table, bowl and spoon in hand. Beside him, Yami sat eating a bowl of Cheerios. "Bakura sent the toaster to the shadow realm again," he explained morosely.

At that very moment, Livi and Duke stumbled down the stairs hand in hand. The girl offered a groggy smile. "Morning."

Seth just groaned, pouring himself a bowl of cereal and eating it dry. "Unless you feel like making something, your breakfast options today are Cheerios and Cheerios. Bakura sent the toaster to the shadow realm when it burnt his toast and the microwave still isn't back from earlier."

She giggled softly, pulling her hand from Duke's and opening the fridge. She glanced back at the boys. "I'm gonna make an omlet. Any of you want one?"

Instantly, Seth, Bakura, Ryou, Marik, Melvin, Duke, Joey, Mokuba, and the newly-arrived Seto raised their hands. Yami shook his head. "No thanks, I'm good with my Cheerios."

Yugi rested his head on his yami's arm. "I already ate _before_ Bakura got rid of the toaster."

"Okay, so that's ten. Think Felicity or Fell will be down in time for breakfast?" Her smile drooped a bit at mention of the yami.

Seth choked on the handful of Cheerios he was eating, scrambling to cover his mouth with a napkin as he coughed. "They can take care of themselves," he answered after a long moment. "Fell's the only yami I know of who can actually cook, and Felicity doesn't ever have a proper breakfast anyway."

She gave him an odd look but nodded. "Less to cook. I can deal with that." She hummed to herself, dropped her cellphone on the table, and dug around the fridge for the ingredients.

Duke eagerly set about to helping her and soon everyone was happily eating their omletts, pausing only to compliment her heartily for the food. "Hey," Yami said distractedly, "what're we gonna feed Kefi?"

"Oh yeah," Bakura said as if suddenly remembering, "I forgot Fell was the one who usually fed the damn thing." Seto shot a death glare at him for swearing in front of Mokuba, who was fortunately too busy eating to notice the cuss word.

Livi looked around pointedly. "You don't really trust me that close to the door, do you?" Her voice wavered, thoughts of her yami threatening to send her back into hysterics.

Duke sensed her distress and reached over to pet her hair as Yami looked up at her from where he was playing with his own hikari's golden highlights. "It's not so much that as it is Kefi's temper. He doesn't let anyone near him save for Fell and Felicity," Yami explained, his voice then dropping to a conspiritual whisper. "We were actually planning on having Bakura take him some food in punishment for the toaster."

The corners of her mouth quirked up in a shaky smile. "Sounds good to me." She glanced at Duke with a slightly wider smile.

Seth groaned. "It is too damn early for this. Just give the feline some tuna and be done with it."

"Tuna?" Ryou asked.

He shrugged. "Felicity doesn't feed him cat food."

"Couldn't tuna technically be considered-" Her phone cut her off, playing the chorus of "Call Me When You're Sober". She picked it up. "Hello?" The vague noises of talking followed and she paled considerably. "SHIT!" She jumped to her feet, knocking over her chair, with the phone still to her ear.

Duke gave her the puppy-dog eyes when she pulled away from him. Mokuba had already dragged Joey and Yugi off to go play some video game of Felicity's, Yami and Seto following, leaving only the two Egyptians who were busy trying to light random food objects on fire with the store burners, Seth who was busy reading the paper his reincarnation had abandoned, Ryou who was finishing off the dishes with Bakura slyly banishing the remaining food to the shadow realm when his hikari wasn't looking, and the other two in the kitchen.

"How mad is he?" Her eyes got even wider at the response, panic filling them. "There's no way that he could-" The voice on the other end cut her off. "Oh damn, really?" She sighed. "Yeah, okay... bye." She closed the phone and looked at Duke. "I have to go."

He pouted childishly. "And leave me behind with these psychos? You're so cruel!"

Ryou chuckled. "I'd disagree with you, but then Bakura would likely dump me in a rosebush or something."

"Only because you look so good with red petals in your hair!" the yami protested.

Livi shook her head, rushing towards Duke and throwing her arms around him, holding him tight. She buried her face in his chest again, trying to resolve her mental struggle.

"Hey, don't cry, you'll be back before you know it," he told her gently, then smiled darkly. "I'll even kick Fell's ass for you when he shows up again."

She shook her head, turning her head up to look at him. "I don't want to go."

"Suki da yo*, Livi. Now go handle whatever it is you need to do so that you can come back all the sooner, okay?"

"But if I go back, it could be months before I'm back." She sniffed. "And I don't..." She struggled for the words, instead falling into more sobs. "I don't want to go without seeing you."

"Months?" he growled, eyes flashing dangerously now as they narrowed.

"I mean," she hiccuped. "I'll be at school but... I stayed too long. He's furious..." She hid her face in his shoulder.

"Who? If he hurts you, I'll kill him with my bare hands."

She shook her head. "No, he never hits. Never hits." She whispered it to herself, drying her tears with the back of her hands.

He was rambling now, too worked up to stop. "Oh Ra, he's your boyfriend, isn't he? He is, and he's gonna be pissed at you for being with me and-"

"No, no. No boyfriend." She shook her head quickly.

"Then who, Livi?"

She looked up at him, eyes guarded. "My dad."

Duke sighed then. "I'd offer to let you take me home and introduce me, but something tells me he'd only get pissed at you for that."

Marik and Melvin looked at each other for a long moment before bursting out, Bakura joining them despite Ryou's protests, "Duke and Livi sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Livi shot them a withering look. "Probably. My step brother said he's more mad than the time I got shot... He almost choked the guy with his bare hands." She looked away worriedly.

"You got SHOT?" Duke yelped, jade eyes burning.

"Damn, I knew I picked her out as an apprentice for a reason," Bakura whistled, ignoring the hikari pulling on his arm.

She set a hand on his arm. "It was a few years ago and it's not important."

He bristled for a moment before sighing. "You're not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?"

"I have to go. It'll just be worse if I don't." She set a hand on his face. "I wish I could stay."

"Let me guess, I can't come with you, right?"

"This is boring," Melvin complained. "Let's go watch Bakura get his eyes ripped out by a cat!"

Marik grinned. "I'm game!"

"No. That wouldn't make this any better." She rose to the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But you'll eventually have to meet them."

"I eagerly await that day, love," he answered, smiling.

Ryou poked his head around the doorway. "Not to break up the moment or anything," he said sheepishly, "but do you think the door to the back of the house is supposed to be making cracking noises like it is?"

Livi wove her fingers through Duke's and looked over Ryou's shoulder. Her lip caught between her lip. "Probably not... but I really need to go. Sorry boys."

"But it could be really important!" he protested, giving her the puppy-dog eyes.

She sighed. "I'm already grounded til I'm 30. Why not make it 32?" She walked closer to the door. Suddenly, it became obvious why Ryou wanted someone else there. Marik, Melvin, and Bakura were all leaning against the door, letting the vibrations from whatever it was banging against it hump them and ignoring the angry yowls from Kefi who stalked angrily around their covered feet. Livi looked away instantly. "Not a problem I can solve." She looked at Duke. "Sorry hun." With another kiss on his cheek, she was gone.

Ryou and Duke looked at each other for a long moment. "Dammit, I was sorta hoping she'd yell at them and they'd stop," the hikari groaned.

From behind them, Yami chuckled, Yugi pressing his face to his yami to hide his blush. "Hardly. It's this easy to get rid of them." He raised his voice. "Hey whores, you do realize you're likely doing it with Zorc or something, right?"

Bakura and Melvin made disgusted noises, the latter dragging his hikari from the door. "What's going on here?" Seto growled as he stalked towards them, Joey following.

His past reincarnation snorted, shoving past them all. "Kefi was trying to get us to let something in." The brunet opened the door, three figures falling out from it.

The first was obviously the unconscious form of Livi's yami, one Duke was quick to catch. The second was the heavily-bleeding _and_ unconscious Fell, who looked pale and drawn enough to be on the brink of death even as Ryou and Yugi both darted to catch him, Seth being too busy to do it himself. Last, the golden-haired form of none other than Jono used Fell's sword to push back the maw of a large jackal-beast as Seth slammed it shut. "Well," Yami said, "I guess that solves the mystery of where Fell went off to."

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><p>Livi stood, head down, hands behind her back. Her father stood in front of her, yelling while the rest of the family was scattered around the house. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" He glared at her, clenching and unclenching his hand.<p>

She looked at the floor. "I wasn't, Sir."

"DAMN RIGHT YOU WEREN'T! WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED TO YOU?" He growled, stamping closer to her.

Her eyes widened and she braced herself right as his hand flew across her face. A slap rung out through the room.

Livi grit her teeth but continued to stare at the floor. His hand came down again and she sucked in a breath. Her father stalked away and she fell to the ground, crying. Her step-brother appeared a few seconds later, holding a bag of frozen peas and a box of chocolate.

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><p>If Fell hadn't been lying sick in their bed, there was no doubt in Seth's mind that he would have been screeching curses at the ex-champion. As it was, the brunet barely had enough self-control to stand in the same room, instead finding Yami and Yugi taking care of the gaping wounds before the man opened his emerald eyes tiredly and said, "Leave them. Most of 'em are 'kila's anyway."<p>

"But Fell, you're injured," Yugi protested.

"Let him be, aibou," Yami replied, placing a hand on his hikari's arm. "If Fell wants to suffer, let him. It's his decision to make."

Akila stirred slightly at the sound of Yami's voice, murmuring "Dad..."

He smiled gently, reaching out to stroke her hair softly, unsure if she was waking up or not and just deciding to talk. "Hey sweetie. I've missed you. Did you know Fell's being dumb and not letting himself be healed from what you did to him? The damn idiot's always bent the rules about his health when he's felt guilty, but never to this extent before."

"Mmm..." She sighed, eyes slowly peeling open. A small smile crossed her face. "Hi, Dad."

He opened his mouth to speak, but the flurry of movement on the other side of the bed caught his attention. Fell had moved to a position against the headboard, glaring daggers at Seth, who stood on the other end leaning over the footboard. "Fell, you damn brat, stop moving," he growled.

Fell shook his head, eyes wheeling with a fever even as his body lightly protested his actions. "No. I deserve to die."

"Fell," Seth ground out, "you will either hold still or so help me, I'll tie you down!"

"I NEED TO DIE, DAMMIT!"

Akila watched them argue for a moment and then spoke. "Fell." Though raspy and quiet, her voice was commanding.

His tired eyes, flickering with sickness and pain, met hers. "Akila," he breathed, "you're awake. That's good. I thought 'City was going to get you..."

She rolled her eyes tiredly. "I can hold my own against the shit back there. But that's not the point. You have to heal. For Felicity."

He shook his head. "I'm not her yami," he confessed. "She's not my hikari. I don't know who her yami is, but it isn't me. It _can't _be me." He swayed with exhaustion. " 'sides, I have to die. For you."

"We both know that that's bullshit. And..." She struggled to clear her dry throat. "And Livi made me look at my memories again. It wasn't you. It was Zorc."

He shook his head, panic in his gaze. "She's not, I know it! OUR BOND IS TOO WEAK FOR HER TO BE MINE!" He whimpered, tucking his legs closer to his body. "She's not mine, she's not mine, no one's mine, I have no one, I have nothing..."

Akila watched the man she'd known for far too long panic and couldn't help herself. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. "Shhhh..." She pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

He calmed slightly under her touch, his eyes devoid of proper recognition. "Will you stay with me?" he asked childishly, wanting the companion he'd always adored even when he wasn't supposed to. "I don't want the darkness to come back."

She smiled and pulled him closer, laying her head next to his and trying to ignore how right it felt. "Of course."

"Thank you," he murmured softly, nuzzling her affectionately. "I'll have to tell 'kila 'bout this when I wake up... She'll be so happy to know I found someone..." His breath evened out as he fell asleep.

Seth looked at the two. "Would you like to bandage him, Akila, or would you rather I do it?"

"I'll do it. Thanks Seth." With gentle hands, she set to work fixing up the man she, admittidly, loved. Then settling back on the bed, she pulled him back into her arms.

Yami cleared his throat. "Akila, I know it's not my position to tell you this, but be careful with him."

She smiled softly, running a hand through the jet-black hair, kissing Fell's forehead before replying. "I know Dad. I will."

Seth's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't what he meant, Akila."

Her eyebrows rose. "Then what did he mean? I _know_ he's injured, I'm not an idiot and I'm not going to harm him."

Yami sighed. "Let's just say there was a reason he stopped fooling around with us, Akila, and leave it at that."

Her eyes narrowed. "Dad..." There was a silent plea for explanation hanging in the air.

He shook his head. "This is Fell's story to tell, not mine." He turned to Yugi, who was patiently waiting at the door for him. "Come on, aibou, it's late, and you have school tomorrow."

Her eyes fell to the man in her arms and she sighed, laying closer to him and closing her eyes. She succumbed to her dreams quickly.

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><p>The cat sitting by the door mewed at the approaching figure, getting to his paws and twining around the feet of the man. "Hello again, my Sheut**," he murmured, reaching down to pet the creature. "How is my dear Ib**?" The cat let out a low hiss, its fur not raising to show he was not angry at the man. "Ah. Like that, huh? Is she awake yet?" At the answering purr, he gently opened the door, glad he'd been able to regain enough of his Ka** so that his Ba** would be able to manipulate the objects. The girl lay in a heap just inside the frame, so he bent to pick her up, cuddling her close. He had to be careful being around her like this; it would not do for others to figure out that he cared for her more than simply because she was one of the people bearing his Ren**.<p>

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><p>*-literally 'I like you best', has come to mean I love you<p>

**- Ancient Egyptian believe separated the soul into five parts. Here, he is saying that Felicity is his heart (Ib) and Kefi his shadow (Sheut). He himself is his soul (Ba), his name (Ren) lost to all save the living, aka Fell and Felicity, and his spirit (Ka) is missing because he is dead.

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><p>Die: Chazz, get out here! Stop hiding you no-good money-hogging card-loving pig-headed ego-centric small-tempered ojama-humping butt-munching asshole!<p>

Cali: *eyeroll* Wrong story...

Akila: What's up with Die and this Chazz dude?

Cali: ...not as much as her and Aster...

Marik: *rolls eyes* That's mainly because Chazz and Bastion are in a gay relationship, apparently.

Die: ASTER PHOENIX! WHERE, WHERE, WHERE?

Cali: Did you hear that from Jaden?

Akila: I know _I _did...

Marik: Yep.

Cali: And that Syrus thought he was pregnant? Yeah... Die wants to write about that...

Die: WHERE THE EFF IS ASTER PHOENIX?

Cali: We were talking _about _him. He's not here. *eyeroll*

Die: O.O

Cali: Alrighty. We'll give you the following for reviews: chainsaws, bits of Marik's shirt, cookies, chainsaws, baby panda plushies, Puppy Duke Plushies, trading cards, shampoo, swords, and... erm...

Die: O.O

Marik: Well, we could always give them a pet cat...

Die: Like Pharaoh?

Livi: I think our feminine Egyptian was thinking more along the lines of Kefi...

Marik: YES, WE NEED TO GET RID OF THAT DAMN CAT! *sniffle* It hates me...

Cali: Yeah... well _anyway_, we'll give you Kefi plushies if you review! So please review!


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